Guwahati: A bandh is likely to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in eastern Assam on February 5 next given that a number of organisations representing a dominant indigenous community of eastern Assam called Moran, has called for two-day Assam bandh on February 4 and 5 next to press for their long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit eastern Assam areas on February 5 next as part of day-long engagement in the state. He is scheduled to visit Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts in eastern Assam on before he inaugurates the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati in the afternoon. He will inaugurate Assam Gas Cracker Project of the GAIL at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh district and address the 85th convention of Srimanta Sankar Sangha, an influential and popular religious cult, at Sivasagar. He will also attend a meeting of party workers at Moran Polo Club field on that day.
Various frontal organisations of Moran community which has strong presence in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts in eastern Assam, on Wednesday hold a massive protest rally in Tinsukia town of eastern Assam demanding the BJP-led Central government to grant ST status to the community before the next Assembly polls in the state failing which they threaten to resort to widespread agitation in the state.
A spokesman of the community announced that besides calling for two-day statewide bandh in the next couple of days, which definitely affect the eastern Assam districts, the protesting organisations of the community will stage protest demonstration before the office of Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district on February 8 next to press for their demand.
Meanwhile, a source informed that the state BJP leadership is trying to persuade Moran community leaders call off the bandh especially on February 5 in view of the PM’s visit to the area scheduled for that day.
Two other indigenous communities communities, Motok and Chutia, have also called for eastern ssam districts on the same day to press for their demand for ST status.
