Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his two-day visit to poll-bound Assam today. On Saturday evening at around 6 pm, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a traditional Bodo cultural programme in Guwahati. During the event, around 10,000 artists will perform the Bagurumba dance. Bagurumba is a traditional dance of the Bodo community and is known for its graceful moves and connection with nature. It has been practised for centuries. The dance steps are a personification of the movements of butterflies.
The upcoming performance on Saturday is being seen as one of the biggest cultural events in the state. In a post on X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "After Bihu & Jhumoir, it's time for Bagurumba to shine! On January 17, in the presence of Adarniya Shri @narendramodi Ji, 10,000+ artists will perform Bagurumba in Guwahati. Reviewed preparations as we look forward to taking the vibrant Bodo folk dance form to the global stage."
Bagurumba: A Dance Dedicated To Nature
The Bagurumba dance is a central part of the Bwisagu festival. Both the dance and the festival signify mutual respect and love for nature and the surroundings.
The dance form is traditionally performed only by women of the Bodo community, with the musical instruments being played by their male counterparts. The dancers dress in handwoven, bright red, yellow, and green dokhna, jwmgra, and aronai, dancing to the beautiful beats of the handmade percussion instruments.
The musical instruments include the traditional kham, a drum made of wood and goatskin, including sifung, a bamboo flute, and other wooden instruments like jota, gongwna and tharkha.
Ahead of Saturday's event, Chief Minister Sarma held a video conference with District Commissioners to review rehearsal work and other preparations. Officials discussed coordination, logistics, and arrangements to ensure that the artists can perform smoothly.
The focus remains on smooth coordination and ensuring every participating artiste performs with pride and ease, as Assam prepares to showcase the rich cultural legacy of the Bodo community on an international stage.
Community's Journey: From Violence To Cultural Milestone
The Bodo community has seen a massive turnaround - from peak militancy to now becoming a cultural milestone. In the 1980s and 1990s, militant movements of the community peaked, resulting in large-scale killings and human displacement in the region.
In 2003, the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) accord was signed between the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), led by the leadership of current BTC Chief Hagrama Mahilary on one side, and the Centre and the Assam government on the other. Under the accord, the BLT members surrendered their weapons, and Hagrama was made the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the BTC.
However, a new group of militants named the NDFB demanded a separate Bodo state, rejecting the BTC accord. From 2014 to 2015, militant violence was again at its peak by the NDB against the local adivasis and other groups in the region.
Finally, the power play was played by the leading political decisions and law enforcement agencies, and NDFB came to the table for further constitutional talks.
Notably, in January 2020, around 1,615 active NDFB members surrendered and made a significant comeback to their mainstream Bodo society.
Later in 2021, another splinter group, the National Liberation Front of Bodoland (NLFB), led by M. Batha, also surrendered, bringing more militants back to the mainstream after some felt the 2020 accord wasn't fully implemented.
These surrenders signify a strong commitment to building peace and development, with the militants joining mainstream society and receiving support for their respective rehabilitation.
Currently the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) consists of 4 districts: Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri, contributing around 35% of the total land area of Assam.
Today, the Centre and state government are working intensely with coordination from the regional BTC government for a more developed and prosperous region in the near future, marking a golden era for the ancient Bodo community within the constitutional safeguards.
