GUWAHATI: Twelve-hour dawn-to-dusk Dima Hasao bandh called jointly by Dimasa Students’ Union (DSU) along with five other students’ organisatons on Wednesday paralysed life in the entire hill district where, offices, business establishments remained closed during the bandh hours. Education institutions were exempted from the purview of the bandh.
The bandh was called by the students’ organizations to protest the Centre’s attempt to grant Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status to Bodo tribe people living in hill districts of Assam under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The bandh was called also to press for the long-standing demand for autonomous state under the provision of Article 244(A) of the Constitution.
The Bodos are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (Plains) in Assam. However, as per the Bodo Accord signed in 2003 with the leadership of now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), the Government of India is supposed to grant ST(H) status to Bodos living in hill districts of Assam.
The bandh paralysed life in the district headquarter at Haflong where the office of the Autonomous District Council remained under lock and key while there was skeletal presence of staff in the office of the Deputy Commissioner.
No business establishments, banks, post offices and government offices functioned in the rest of the hill district including sub-divisions of Diyungbra, Umrangshu, Langting and Harangajao.
In the neighbouring hill districts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong, Karbi Students’ Association too has launched a similar agitation opposition ST(H) status to Bodo tribe people living in Karbi Anglong hill.
