All Bodo Students' Union on indefinite hunger strike for separate Bodoland state

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Members of All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU sat on an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday to exert pressure on the government to create a separate state of Bodoland, in the wake of the ruling government approving the formation of a separate state of Telangana.

Hundreds of members from the ABSU and other allied Bodo organisations gathered in Kokrajhar district to participate in the strike.

President of ABSU, Pramod Boro, said they would continue to agitate till their demand for a separate state of Bodoland is met.

"We had proposed for talks with the Centre and the state government to press our demand for the separate state of Bodoland. In the past we have protested in a democratic way. We will continue to agitate in this way only," he said.

The Bodos have long fought for a separate state and after a 16-year armed struggle they signed a peace accord with New Delhi in 2003, which gave them autonomy over four districts.

The All Bodo Students" Union (ABSU) had earlier called for a 60-hour shutdown in Assam to press its demand for a separate Bodoland state.

On August 9, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had urged ethnic minorities to unite and rejected demands for separate statehood.

"I am not going to divide Assam. We all need to live together. Stop bandh culture and go for work culture. When we are one, the others will fear to break us up," said Gogoi.

"We may be Rabhas, Bodos, Karbis, Chutias, Gorkhas (ethnic communities) or minorities. But we all need to live together as Assamese under one umbrella in the state of Assam from Sadiya to Dhubri," he added.