The paper attempts to analyse the relevance of Bodo sub-nationalism in the politics of Assam and its assertion in the print media discourse. Bodo movement has been the loudest voice among all the ethnic movements for separation (both state and statehood). The politics of Bodoland have undergone significant changes after the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord in 2020: firstly, after fifteen years in power, the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) was defeated in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) election by the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and its former ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); secondly, The BJP and the UPPL joined forces for the BTR election in 2020 and the Assam Assembly Election in 2021 and thirdly, despite the wrangling history between the parties and their respective vote banks, the BPF joined forces with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in the Congress-led alliance for the 2021 Assam Assembly Election.

The evaluation of the political discourse on Bodoland in the print media of Assam involves the examination of two well-known regional newspapers - 'The Assam Tribune' (English newspaper) and 'Asomiya Pratidin' (Assamese newspaper) during the BTR election in 2020 and the Assam Assembly Election in 2021. The study utilises agenda setting theory to explore the topics that the media prioritises as the agenda. The study finds that the print media focused more on BPF than UPPL. It also suggests that the print media frequently highlighted the themes of peace, development, and the Bodo Peace Accord.

Authors:
Debashis Pratim Sarma, Tezpur University, India

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

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