GOALPARA, Dec 19 � Lashing out at the Congress-led government for trying to impose the Panchayat elections in the Rabha Hajong Autonomous Council (RHAC) areas, the representatives of the Rabha Hajong Joint Movement Committee (RHJMC), an umbrella body of 34 organisations representing various communities living in the RHAC areas, in an emergent meeting held today at Dudhnoi lambasted the government and demanded immediate withdrawal of the elections from the RHAC areas by Dec 31.
It also appealed to the government to announce immediately a separate schedule to hold elections to the Rabha Hajong Autonomous Council.
The meeting also announced their first phase of agitational programme starting with a 36-hour bandh in the RHAC areas on Jan 3 next from 5 am in protest against the government�s decision.
Talking to this correspondent , Tankeswar Rabha, president All Rabha Students� Union (ARSU), said the government has betrayed the aspirations of all the tribal people living in the RHAC areas by foisting an election, in total disregard to and undermining provision 5 (a) of the Rabha Accord, wherein it was mentioned that �the provision of Assam Panchayat Act 1994 and the Assam Municipal Act, 1994 (Amended) shall not apply to the areas of the villages included in RHVC�, which was signed on March 10, 1995, between the representatives of Rabha Hajong Demand Committee and the then Chief Secretary, Govt of Assam, A Bhattacharjya, in presence of the Late Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia.
