Tinsukia, July 3: A 12-hour Assam bandh, called by the state's six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe status, brought normal life to a complete standstill today amid slogans of "No ST, no rest".
The bandh, called by the Moran, Muttock, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Sutia and tea tribe communities, paralysed the Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and Lakhimpur and Dhemaji on the north bank.
There were reports of a few incidents of slapping and punching of commuters and shopkeepers in Tinsukia and Sivasagar. Bandh supporters also blocked the main road at Tinkonia in Tinsukia town for nearly an hour and burnt tyres at many places in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat districts.
Sapan, a resident of Tinkonia, who was slapped and punched by bandh supporters for taking out his bike, told this correspondent that they started hitting him when in reply to their question "Where are you going?" he replied "Why?"
At Jegenekutia, on the outskirts of Sivasagar town, protesters forcefully tried to close shops and establishments but were chased away by businessmen, who, however, later chose to close their shops.
In Dhemaji and Lakhimpur, bandh supporters stopped people travelling in private vehicles, blocked national highways and burnt tyres. Though vehicles mostly remained off the roads, they stopped night service buses, bound for different destinations from Guwahati, early in the morning. Police, however, escorted the vehicles to their destinations.
At Duliajan and Lahoal in Dibrugarh district, there were reports of protesters being picked up but they were released by the evening.
Barring these incidents, the bandh was peaceful in Upper Assam. All banks, offices and shops remained closed and vehicles remained off the roads.
In lower Assam, the Hiteswar Barman faction of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union damaged some vehicles in Kokrajhar district and set a Maruti van on fire at Salkocha in Dhubri district. The faction took a proactive role in enforcing the strike as the Koch Rajbongshis are one of the six communities demanding ST status. The faction's general secretary, Troilokya Ray, said Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang, Goalpara, Barpeta, Baksa, Udalguri, Nalbari and Sonitpur districts also witnessed a total strike. In Bongaigaon district, picketers burnt tyres at different places in the morning.
The bandh, reduced to 12 hours from the initial call of 24 hours, had an adverse impact on the tea and oil industries apart from the government losing crores of rupees in taxes because of business remaining shut everywhere.
The president of the Tinsukia unit of All Tai Ahom Students Union, Milan Buragohain, told The Telegraph, "This is just the start. The BJP governments in the state and the Centre have betrayed us and we will not stop short of anything but ST status even if Assam has to burn. The governments shall be responsible for the consequences of their betrayal."
He alleged that chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was obstructing ST status for the six communities as he comes from a tribal community.
The president of the All Moran Students' Union, Arunjyoti Moran, warned the government against politicising the issue and "delaying tactics".
"It is not going to work this time. We are committed to our demand and we will do whatever is required to ensure that the government grants us ST status. On July 11, we will block railway tracks and if the government remains unmoved even then, we shall go ahead with an indefinite economic blockade," he warned.
The six organisations had earlier announced a slew of protests, including an Assam bandh, a railway blockade and an indefinite economic blockade. However, several people reacted sharply to the bandh, saying strikes were not a solution to any issue.
A resident of Tinsukia said, "Slapping bandhs on others is like encroaching on their constitutional right to move freely. Why don't bandh supporters take on the government directly like laying a siege to and locking down offices instead of forcing citizens to observe bandhs. Have they ever thought from where will a daily wage-earner earn his bread on such days?"
A businessman in Dibrugarh said, "Any bandh call is dangerous for democracy and development."
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY
VINOD KR SINGH IN DHEMAJI
AND TEJESH KUMAR IN BONGAIGAON
