DIPHU, Nov 28 - The Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Karbi Students� Association (KSA) and Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) staged a joint demonstration here on Friday, demanding creation of an autonomous state under Article 244(A) of the Constitution comprising the three hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
They also demanded implementation of all the clauses of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 1995 between the Central government and ASDC, KSA and NCHSF, and the memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed in 2011 between the Centre and now-disbanded United People�s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS).
The sit-in protest was held in front of Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park here from 11 am to 3 pm on Friday.
The protesters asked the government to initiate peace talks with the Karbi Longri and North Cachar Liberation Front (KLNLF) and other extremist outfits of Karbi Anglong.
Several ASDC youth activists were also seen protesting with slogans like �ASDC long live�, �KSA long live� and �No Autonomous State, No rest� scrawled on their bare bodies.
After the demonstration, they marched from the protest venue to the DC office and submitted a memorandum highlighting their demands to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through the Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner.
In the memorandum, the ASDC said, �The process of re-organisation of Assam undertaken in 1969 during the creation of the then autonomous state of Meghalaya was left incomplete as Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao were only given an option requiring both the councils in each session to adopt resolution in favour of the autonomous state. The resolution in favour of an autonomous state in the council session for Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao was frustrated by the Congress, which was the then ruling party.�
�Again in 1971, the whole of North East India was reorganised, but Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao were again left out of the process. Therefore, it is necessary to complete the process of reorganisation of Assam by implementing Article 244(A) of the Constitution to create an autonomous state for Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao as it is a commitment given by the Indian Parliament to the people of this land,� it added.
ASDC president Chandra Kanta Terang said, �The ASDC and its allies KSA and KNCA have been demanding creation of an autonomous state under Article 244(A) of the Constitution for the past 30 years. However, successive governments have not acted.�
