Guwahati, Feb. 11: The demand for a separate Kamtapur state and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Koch Rajbongshis will take centrestage when the descendents of Koch royal families in Assam celebrate Chilarai Divas along with their counterparts in Bengal and neighbouring Bangla-desh, Nepal and Bhutan on February 22.

"The community has been fighting for the demands for long and we will announce a strong move in front of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who will be chief guest at the event," Pranab Narayan Dev, a member of Darrang (Assam) Koch royal family and the secretary of the Consortium of Koch Royal Families, said.

Chilarai was commander of the 16th century Koch king Nara Narayan and derived his name for fighting as swiftly as a chila (kite).

The descendants of the royal families in Cooch Behar (Bengal), Bijni, Sidli, Khaspur, Beltola (Assam) and Panga (Bangladesh) met in September last year and formed the consortium.

The Koch Rajbongshis have been demanding Kamtapur state, carved out of 14 districts in Assam and six in Bengal, and ST status for protection of their identity and preservation of their ethnic culture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his last visit to the state on January 19, had promised "good news" soon regarding the ST status demanded by six ethnic communities, including Koch Rajbongshis.

From the coins of the ancient Koch kingdom, wheels of royal chariots, dresses used by royal families, ornaments, old books, photographs of nine last Koch kings, traditional food, kushan, Goalini and Hudu dance and Goalpariya songs, among others will be displayed during the celebrations here at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra.

"We will introduce ourselves to the people as few are aware of the descendants of Koch royal families and how we are struggling to keep our heritage alive. At the same time, we will try to bring them to the attention of all for protection and preservation of our culture," Dev said.

"There will be a chart of all descendents of the Koch royal families, including those living in Panga. This will help all to understand how the descendents got separated after Partition," he said.

Union sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state cultural affairs minister Bismita Gogoi, writers Homen Borgohain and Rita Choudhury, among others, will also attend the daylong celebrations.