Haflong: Hundreds of activists from the Dimasa Student Union (DSU) staged a sit-in protest at Haflong in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, demanding the immediate implementation of Article 244A of the Constitution.
The article empowers the Parliament to establish an autonomous state within Assam, encompassing the Sixth Schedule areas of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts.
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This long-standing demand has been a persistent plea from residents of both districts.
Protestors carried placards and chanted slogans like “No Autonomous State, No Rest” and “Article 244A is our constitutional right.” The All Dimasa Student Union (ADSU) also extended its support to the demonstration.
DSU General Secretary Pramith Sengyung accused all political parties of making empty promises regarding Article 244A during elections, only to disregard the issue once in power.
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He said that the demand for an autonomous state has persisted for 33 years, with both state and central governments failing to take concrete steps.
Sengyung highlighted the erosion of powers granted to the Sixth Schedule areas, despite an MoU signed in 1995.
He asserted that implementing Article 244A is the only way to safeguard the customs, culture, and traditions of the tribal people residing in these regions.
He clarified that the demand for an autonomous state does not seek separation from Assam but rather seeks greater self-governance within the state.
Simultaneously, a group from Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao is holding a similar protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to amplify their demands. The protest in Haflong concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the district commissioner.
Earlier in July, the Sixth Schedule Protection Committee (SSPC) organized a seven-day hunger strike in Haflong for the same cause, leading to the hospitalization of a female protester due to deteriorating health.
Article 244(A) was added to the Constitution through the Twenty-second Amendment Act in 1969. Its implementation would grant significantly more autonomy compared to the current Sixth Schedule, including the possibility of a separate legislature.