JORABAT, Dec 11 - As the stage is all set for the upcoming Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) elections, resentment among the Amri Karbi community opposing the elections to the constituencies falling under Dimoria block, has soared after failing to get a positive response from the government.
Elections to the 36 constituencies of TAC including six under Dimoria block, are scheduled to be held on December 17.
Thousands of people, including students and women from the Amri Karbi community today took to the streets blocking one side of the National Highway 37 at Samota, Phong-Ari near Sonapur from 10 in the morning to 3 pm to protest against the TAC elections in Dimoria region.
The protesters raised slogans like: �Axom Sarkar Hai Hai�, �Atul Bora Murdabad�, �Tiwa elections go back�, �Cancel Tiwa elections in Dimoria� and other anti-government slogans.
It may be mentioned that six Amri Karbi organisations have for years been demanding exclusion of the six constituencies under Dimoria block in Kamrup Metro district from the 36 constituencies under the TAC.
With the Amri Karbi organisations sticking to their earlier stand not to allow the elections to be held in Dimoria, Dharmeshwar Teron, general secretary of the Amri Karbi Students� Union said, �Though the Amri Karbi comprise 70 per cent of the total population, the government extended the Tiwa Autonomous Council to Dimoria tribal block by creating six constituencies for only three per cent Tiwa people.�
According to leaders of the agitation, the stir was halted for some time after the government intervened to look into their demands, but upon not seeing a clear picture, the Amri Karbis have now resumed their agitation.
The agitationists also asserted that the protest would continue for the next three days as they have set December 14 as the deadline for cancellation of elections to the six constituencies under Dimoria block.
It may be recalled that earlier elections were not held in Dimoria due to continuing protests by the Amri Karbi community.
