Bongaigaon/Guwahati: The Oboro Suraksha Samiti, an organisation working for the non-Bodo people living in Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD), on Friday reduced its 36-hour Assam strike to 24 hours, considering the ongoing class XII board examination and update of the National Register of Citizens.

The Samiti had called the strike beginning 5am on Friday in protest against the Bodoland Territorial Council's new land policy. It also demanded revision of the BTC Accord, signed in 2003. The strike evoked mixed response in most of the lower Assam districts. This was the second strike call on the issue within this week.

"Assam's home and political department assured us this evening (Friday) that tripartite talks would be arranged between us, the council and the state government within a week to discuss the land rights issue of non-tribals residing in the council area," Jogeswar Kalita, general secretary of the Samiti, said.

BTAD has been in turmoil since reports published last month about a move of the BTC administration to alter the land policy, which will deprive the Rajbongshi, Adibasi, Gorkha and Nath Yogis living in the BTAD, the area it administers, of land rights.

Kalita said the Samiti has given one month to the council to rectify its new land policy. He said the Friday's strike passed off "by and large peacefully".

Asam Sahitya Sabha, on the other hand, urged BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary to talk with each disgruntled community in the BTAD to ease the ongoing tension in the Sixth Schedule area.

A delegation of the Sabha, led by its president Paramananda Rajbongshi, met Mohilary late Thursday evening and discussed the issue. "Mohilary assured the delegation that he would not let any community living in the BTC suffer from any land-related uncertainties," a Sabha statement said.

The Sabha told Mohilary that the Rajbongshis, Adivasis, Gorkhas, Muslims and Nath Yogis have intensified their protests in the BTAD.