India’s Secretary General Says Congress Will Honor the Demand of Karbi Anglong

Amidst continuing incidents of violence in eastern part of Karbi Anglong the MP and general secretary of all India congress committee, in charge of Assam Pradesh congress committee Abinash Pande visited curfew bound Diphu town and addressed a party meeting at the charred district congress committee office.

Unlike the APCCI members who lost no time in blaming the BJP after the Karbi Anglong violence, Abinash Pande today categorically mentioned that “some miscreants” are responsible for the violence in Karbi Anglong.

Abinash Pande was accompanied by Bhubeneswar Kalita, President of Assam Pradesh congress committee, both the leaders made the usual appeal for maintaining peace for development.

“Congress will certainly honour the constitutionally granted dispensation for the people of both the autonomous hill district, the UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi will be apprised about the popular demands of the people of the hills, the district congress has given a memorandum to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi which I will hand over to her,” Pande said.

A small group of ‘Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State’ the conglomeration of fifteen students and youth’s organization staged a peaceful demonstration inside the congress office in support of the statehood demand.

In a joint operation of Assam police and allied detachment of CRPF ‘Cobra’ one KPLT ( Karbi Peoples Liberation Army) was shot dead in village Hamlong under Borpathar police station of Bokajan subdivision during wee hours today. The deceased has been identified by police as Sar-Im Teron, security forces have recovered one AK-56 rifle and 74 rounds of live ammunition and other household belongings from the slain cadre.

In a separate incident a twelve-member gang of armed KPLT cadres attacked village Mansing Lakethe around 6.30 PM yesterday. Khorsing Lekthe and Godapani Bora resident of the village was badly beaten up by the ultras, later both injured were admitted to Bakulia civil hospital.

In the continuing 300 hour strike forced by KPLT banks, government offices, educational institutions have remained closed in all parts of the district and vehicular traffic in national highway 36 and 39 is very less, all passenger trains running between Guwahati and Dibrugarh has been rescheduled as a result most of the trains are running late. Curfew was relaxed for 12 hours during day time in Donkamukam and Baithalangso, the two Townships in west Karbi Anglong.

Recovery of a dead body from settlement area of Baithalangso today created sensation in the tense locality. Police has identified the deceased as Longkison Ronghang, a degree 2nd year student of Khagorijan college of Nagaon district. Cause of death has not been ascertained by police till now. Diphu police arrested Rajindra Kramsa, Marlov Timung and Nirbsing Taro all members of Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) for fixing poster in walls and running vehicles today afternoon.

Memorandum affairs of the Karbi Anglong district Congress has considerably irritated the agitating youths and students organizations. Last Monday a group of elected members of both the councils submitted memo to the Prime Minister and UPA chairperson, demanding separate state combining the two autonomous hill districts of Assam, the five elected MLA and the MP of Lok Sabha of the area did not bother to put signature in the memo, in fact the memo itself hardly reflected the ground reality of our place.

The shallow document will hardly serve any purpose except hoodwinking the struggling masses; what is the importance of a MAC in such high level official matter? None of them are elected as per the peoples representation act; even today another memorandum has been given to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi by the office bearers of the district congress which has been signed by five general secretaries and five vice presidents of Karbi Anglong district congress. This amply shows the lacklustre attitude of the elected members of both the districts regarding the statehood movement. They should also raise their voice boldly” Robindra Rongpi, General Secretary of HSDP said.

It may be mentioned here that a memorandum has been given to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi by the office bearers of the district congress signed by five general secretaries and five vice presidents of Karbi Anglong district congress, where it has been mentioned that “the congress party has been supporting the genuine demand of the people of Karbi Anglong since 1952, and adopted a resolution in its 126th session in 1981 for creation of a separate state, which was dishonored by both state and central government. Again in the KAAC adopted similar resolution in its 184th session on 22ndNovember 2002 urging the government of India to implement Article 244 (A) of the Constitution of India, during the reign of congress party in the district which too was denied by both Central and state government.

In this juncture the congress party is in a fix, the outcome of the present situation erupted from the burning issue of not granting statehood to Karbi Anglong may lead to dire consequences for the leader and workers of Karbi Anglong congress party”. The memo has urged Mrs. Gandhi to create a separate state encompassing the two districts in the line of Talengana.

Sushanta Roy

Sushanta Roy is a journalist in Assam, India, who photographs and writes about the people, animals and flora of Assam, and the things that affect them.