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Assam students’ union suspends agitation plan till January

GUWAHATI: The All Koch-Rajbanshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) on Friday suspended its fast-unto-death and the proposed 1,000-hour Assam and North Bengal bandh. This followed an assurance by the Assam government to arrange tripartite talks involving the Centre, the State government and the students’ forum after the ensuing panchayat polls, on the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Koch-Rajbanshis.

AKRSU president Biswajit Ray told The Hindu that the decision to suspend the agitation programmes were taken after Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Debo Kumar Bora, Press Adviser to the Chief Minister, met the fasting leaders at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.

Apart from Mr. Ray, the AKRSU was also represented by its general secretary Pradip Ray and executive member Gautom Saharia. The leaders were on fast demanding the creation of a Kamatapur state and ST status to the Koch-Rajbanshis.

The AKRSU would, however, revive the fast-unto-death and other agitation programmes in February if the talks were not held within January as assured by the State government, Mr. Ray said. He said the student body would resume the fast in Delhi if the State failed to honour its assurances.

The AKRSU chief said that during the discussion, the students’ forum had also raised its demand for a Kamatapur state.

But Mr. Sarma and Mr. Bora had told them that the matter was not within the purview of the State government.

The students’ union on Wednesday revived its call for 1,000-hour Assam and North Bengal bandh beginning from January 1 to protest alleged indifference by the State to their ongoing fast-unto-death.

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