In Assam, a battered road leads to border Gorkha village with little to survive on

In Assam, the Bodoland region has limped back to normalcy after three decades of violence, insurgency and conflict over demand for an independent nation. Locals say peace returned after the 2020 Bodo accord – a pact between the central government, Assam government and Bodo groups.

A string of startups, push for sports, and employment are reviving the region. But the border towns still remain in the clutches of their past with dilapidated roads and dismal medical, water and educational facilities. 

Traversing the far regions of Assam, EastMojo’s Karma Paljor hit the Gorkha village of Saralpara, which is flanked by several Adivasi and Bodo villages. Locals told him that the only road to their village hasn’t been repaired in a decade, citing forest NOCs and a lack of central government funds or budgets.  

The village, which is only powered by solar panels, faces a power crisis during extreme weather. It has a primary school with two teachers for a strength of 80 students, and a health centre with one nurse to cater to over 12,000 people. Water resources are also scarce in the village.  

Locals said the situation worsens during monsoons, with no power, poor connectivity of roads, and a lack of medical facilities.  

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