DIPHU, March 19 - The Statehood demand was reiterated on the floor of the House on Saturday. The 127th session of the Karbi Anlgong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Budget adopted a resolution for granting of an autonomous State by the Centre. Soon after the passing of the Council budget, the KAAC Chairman Bidyasing Tokbi gave time for discussion on the adoption of a resolution regarding demand for granting of Autonomous State as per Article 244(A) by the Central Government for the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
Tuliram Ronghang, CEM, KAAC brought up the matter on the floor of the House to be discussed with other members of the House so that a resolution could be adopted for re-iterating to the Central Government for granting of Autonomous State for the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
It may be mentioned here that this is the third time that a resolution regarding Autonomous State issue was adopted. The first was during the CEMship of present MP Birensing Engti in 1988 and the second time was during the CEMship of now former HAD Minister Kharsing Ingti in 2001.
The CEM while referring to the signing of MoU between the then Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and Central government in 1995 and later the signing of MoS between the disbanded armed organisation United People�s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Central Government for granting of Statehood for the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, said it was signed by the leaders of the hill districts, but the Central as well as State Governments have not been serious enough in resolving the matter.
�It is an aspiration of the people of the hill districts of Assam that Statehood be granted in order to have a separate homeland and able to take up the all-round development for the hill tribes. I will try to fix an appointment with the Prime Minister and without differentiating on party lines, all the elected members of this august house should meet the Prime Minister through a joint delegation requesting him to grant an Autonomous State,� the CEM said. From now on no party or political leaders should play politics in the name of Autonomous State. No one should take political advantage out of it, Ronghang added.
MACs like Ashok Teron, Robinson Kro, Jagatsing Engti and Horensing Bey also supported to the proposal of CEM Ronghang regarding taking up of a resolution from the Council for granting of Statehood.
