Hailakandi: Five Bishnupriya Manipuri organisations have called a 101-hours rail blockade in Barak Valley from December 21 to press for various demands, including reservation of seats for the community in the Assembly and Lok Sabha.

The working president of the All India Bishnupriya Manipuri People's Mahasabha, Subal Sinha, said on Sunday that members of all the organisations unanimously decided on Saturday to go ahead with the blockade to press for seven demands. He said a bike rally will be organised on December 16 in Silchar.

The other demands are introduction of a Bishnupriya Manipuri section in Silchar, Guwahati and Agartala AIR stations, telecast of programmes in the language at Doordarshan Kendras in these places, setting up a language department in all universities, nomination of a community member with requisite qualifications in the Union Public Service Commission and in the executive councils of Assam University and Gauhati University and appointment of Bishnupriya Manipuri language teachers.

The other organisations supporting the blockade are Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Students' Union, Bishnupriya Manipuri Ganasangram Parishad, Bishnupriya Manipuri Ex-servicemen's Organisation and Bishnupriya Manipuri Mahila Sanstha.

Around 3 lakh people of the community reside in Assam, with a majority of them living in Barak Valley. The total population of the community in the country is around 5 lakh.

On July 11, they organised a rally to the office of Silchar deputy commissioner and submitted a memorandum and also observed a satyagraha in New Delhi. On November 15, they observed a hunger strike in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.