Statehood: Stir in two Assam districts

A committee, spearheading a movement for a separate state to be carved out of Assam's two hill districts has launched a fresh fast unto death programme to press its demand.

A total of 13 member of the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) sat on the fast Sep 1 with the demand that Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts should be granted the status of an autonomous state.

The JACAS includes representatives of several civil society organisations of the two districts.

JACAS convener Stalin Engty Wednesday said: "One of the members of the JACAS, who had been fasting, fell sick Wednesday and he was shifted to a local hospital by the district authorities."

The development came after a three-member delegation of the JACAS met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi Aug 27. It urged the minister to grant autonomous state status to the twin hill districts.

Singh had assured the delegation to take up the matter soon.

The JACAS already had two rounds of discussions with the union home ministry over the issue and a detailed roadmap on autonomous state was presented to the central government.

The fresh agitation by the JACAS assumes significance as the two districts, mainly the Karbi Anglong had witnessed violent protests last year over the demand for creation of a separate state encompassing both the hill district.

The statehood demand gained momentum after the erstwhile central government decided to grant statehood to Telengana.