Title - Assam non-tribals oppose statehood demand, call bandhs

GUWAHATI: With the central government inviting Assam groups demanding separate states for talks in New Delhi from Sep 2, several non-Bodo and non-tribal organizations have threatened to launch a mass movement.These bodies on Sunday took part in a mass conclave in Guwahati and decided to oppose the statehood demand.These have also decided to pressurize the state and the central governments against further division in the name of caste and communities.Another non-Bodo organization, the Asomiya Oikya Mancha, has called for 300 hours of bandh of all government offices besides rail and road blockades in Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) starting Sep 2.While the Koch Rajbongshi organizations wanting Kamatapur state have been invited Sep 2, a delegation of the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State demanding state status for Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts has been asked to reach the next day.

On Sep 4, the central government has invited delegations of Bodo organizations demanding a Bodoland state.

"The central government has taken a hasty decision on Telangana while targeting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. However, the decision has fuelled statehood demands in Assam. The non-Bodos living in Assam's BTAD areas have been suffering a lot. Creation of a separate state will further aggravate the situation and we are not going to accept this," said Brajen Mahanta, chief convener of the Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti.

"Today we have decided to oppose any further bifurcation of the state in the name of cast and community and we also appeal to the government of India to settle the grievances of the communities through other means, which is acceptable to all living in the state since ages," he said.