1,000-hour bandh in Assam districts lifted

A 1,000-hour bandh in Assam's Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts demanding an autonomous state was Friday lifted following an assurance from the central government on the issue.

The bandh was called Oct 27 by the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS), a conglomeration of 17 organisations in the two districts, to press for the creation of an autonomous state by combining the two districts.

"We have decided to withdraw the 1,000-hour bandh from 5 p.m. today (Friday)," JACAS convener Stalin Engty said.

"We have received an assurance that the central government would hold talks with us over our demand for declaring Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao as an autonomous state," said Engty.

"We are also told that the discussion will be held before second week of December. Following this verbal assurance, we have decided to withdraw the bandh."

The bandh was supposed to continue till Dec 7.

The JACAS was formed in November last year to press the central and state governments to fulfil the long standing aspiration of the people of the two district for greater autonomy.