Cancellation of dist tag leaves South Kamrup smarting

GUWAHATI: Hundreds of locals in the Chaygaon area of Kamrup district blocked the busy national highway 37 (NH-37) and clashed with security forces on Friday in protest against the state government's decision to take away district status from South Kamrup.
The protesters burnt tyres and stopped vehicles from plying the highway during the 12-hour strike called by Dakshin Kamrup District Demand Coordination Committee (DKDDCC).Many vehicles from Meghalaya and western Assam were stopped at Chaygaon, about 45 km from here. Even ambulances were not spared. Some protesters pelted stones at the vehicles. They also scuffled with police as the latter tried to forcibly remove them.
"The state government has behaved in an unjust manner with the people of South Kamrup by cancelling its district status. The tag was revoked at a time infrastructure for the newly-formed district had just started being built," DKDDCC convener Gopal Das said.
On October 7, the state cabinet decided to cancel the district status of South Kamrup and East Kamrup citing lack of infrastructure. Both districts had been created by the previous Congress government. Since then, South Kamrup has erupted into protests, with locals organizing a series of demonstrations seeking restoration of the status.
"People are spontaneously joining our demonstration. Some miscreants tried to disrupt the protest so that our demand is weakened. We appeal to the government to rethink its decision," DKDDCC chief convener Bipul Rabha said.
Recently, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi had also spoken out against the government's 'unjustified' move. "If South and East Kamrup do not qualify as districts because of lack of infrastructure, Majuli, which was declared a district by the Sarbananda Sonowal government, does not qualify to become one either," he had said.
Meanwhile, six ethnic communities which have been seeking ST status for a long time threatened to revive their agitation by calling a 72-hour state strike from November 1. The communities - Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Sootea, Koch Rajbongshi and adivasi - already held a 36-hour strike on Wednesday.