The normal functioning of daily life remained disrupted several parts of Assam including Udalguri during the dawn-to-dusk 12-hour statewide bandh called by the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) in support of their various demands on Tuesday.
Tribal organisations of Assam called for the bandh from 5 am in protest against the Assam government’s failure to fill up vacant posts reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.
The leaders of the CCTOA, a joint platform of various indigenous communities, in a press conference on Monday alleged that 12,155 posts reserved for ST have been lying vacant in different departments in the State.
The CCTOA demanded voting rights for the 1.5 lakh Karbi, Mishing, Boro, Rabha and Adivasi people of 535 villages living in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts in the upcoming Panchayat elections. It has been alleged the citizens of these villages though vote in Assembly and Lok Sabha election, they have been deprived of voting rights in Panchayat election.
In the important townships of Udalguri district – Tangla, Kalaigaon, Harisinga, Rowta and Dimakuchi, the roads wore deserted look as the vehicles were off the roads.
As per information, schools, colleges and other educational institutions, shops, markets, banks and many other offices remained closed due to the bandh.
Sources informed that the bandh supporters in places like Harisinga and Towkonkata near Tangla town tried to enforce the bandh call by burning tyres on the road.
Assam Bandh Call : Goalpara part
The 12-hour Assam bandh called by the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations also affected several parts of Goalpara and Kamrup (Rural) district.
The bandh call was received well in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) areas of Kamrup (Rural) and Goalpara district.
In the major suburban areas under the RHAC like Dudhnoi, Dhupdhara, Rongjuli, Darangiri, the commercial establishments remained closed. Most of the long distance buses were also not seen plying on the road.
Meanwhile, Amitava Sinha, Superintendent of Police, Goalpara informed, “The bandh remained peaceful and no report of any untoward incident has been received. However, We have given escorts for safety reasons to the vehicles from Krishnai to Dhupdhara which were plying on the NH 37.”
The bandh also affected normal life in Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) including Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) headquarter town, Kokrajhar.
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The bandh witnessed total response with business establishments like markets, banks remaining closed and vehicles remaining off the road.
Besides, filling up of the reserved posts for ST, the tribal bodies also demanded rehabilitation of flood and erosion affected tribals of Laika-Dadhia.