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Assam bandh passes off peacefully

By Staff correspondent

DIBRUGARH, Feb 25 � The Assam bandh called on the day of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi�s visit to the State by various ethnic groups for various reasons, passed off peacefully in the district today.

Barring few educational institutions here, all educational and financial institutions remained shut. Business establishments and wayside bazaars also remained closed for the day. The bandh affected the daily commuters also as vehicles hardly plied on the roads.

While the Bengali Yuva Chatra Parishad (BYCP) called the Assam bandh to raise the D-voter issue, the Adivasi National Convention (ANC), a combined forum of more than 20 Adivasi organisations called a 48-hour bandh since 5 pm of February 24 in protest against Rahul Gandhi�s visit and in protest against the failure of the Congress-led government to fulfil the demands of the Adivasis in Assam.

The Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad (TAYP) and the All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union (AKRSU) called the bandh in protest against alleged exploitation and negligence towards the indigenous people of the State by the Congress.

Correspondents add:

Bongaigaon: The Assam bandh called by several organisations evoked total response in Bongaigaon and Chirang districts. Hiteswar Barman-led AKRSU activists enforced the bandh by burning tyres on the main road at Barpara here in the morning that stopped plying of private vehicles.

The student organisation called a 36-hour Assam bandh to press their demands as well as to protest Rahul�s visit to the state. The AKRSU leaders even forbade their people to attend Rahul�s rally in Guwahati.

The Bongaigaon district unit of the All Adivasi Students Association of Assam (AASAA), which is an ally of ANC, enforced the bandh burning tyres on the NH-31 at Chaprakata in the morning. At Kasidoba, the picketers pelted stones on some vehicles and broke their windscreens.

The local unit of the BYCP burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at Mayapuri Chowk under the leadership of Samrat Bhawal, a functionary of the organisation and a ward commissioner of the Bongaigaon municipality, protesting the government�s failure to address the D-voters issue. They also backed the Assam bandh called by several organisations against Rahul�s rally in Guwahati.

North Lakhimpur: The Assam bandh evoked mixed response in Lakhimpur district and its headquarters North Lakhimpur. While the bandh hit transport, business and other sectors, schools and colleges functioned normally. The governmental offices too functioned with full attendance in the district.

In the morning, the bandh supporters blocked the NH-52 at North Lakhimpur by burning tyres to disrupt movement of vehicles. Though long distance buses and other public transports remained off the road during the bandh, private vehicles and small public transport services were seen moving freely in most of the roads. There has been no report of any untoward incident coming from anywhere in the district during the bandh period.

Tinsukia: The Assam bandh totally stalled the normal life in Tinsukia district on Tuesday. Some bandh supporters burnt tyres on the national highways in several places of the district to stop vehicular traffic.

During the bandh period except few private schools, all other financial and educational institutes, shops and establishments remained closed. Barring few private small vehicles all other vehicular traffic remained off the roads. Attendance in the government offices was very thin. However, production works of tea, oil and coal sectors remained unaffected.

Digboi: The Assam bandh called by several organizations affected normal life in Margherita subdivision on Tuesday. The shops, business establishments, financial institutions, including the banks and most of the educational institutions at Digboi, Margherita, Ledo and Jagun remained closed. Buses and other heavy vehicles were off the roads.

However, the ongoing HSLC and HS examinations continued without any disturbance. The Digboi Refinery along with the offices of IOCL (AOD) functioned with normal attendance. The NECF office of Coal India Ltd at Margherita also continued with its normal run. No untoward incident has been received from any part of the subdivision.

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