Assam: AKRSU bandh cripples normal life

20 July 2018:

Normal life came to a standstill in several parts of Assam on Friday during the 24-hour state-wide bandh called by the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Koch-Rajbongshis and separate Kamatapur state.

The AKRSU volunteers burnt vehicle tyres and blocked roads at several places chanting slogans such as “No Kamatapur, No rest”, “Divide Assam and West Bengal 50-50” etc.

Later, talking to reporters, AKRSU general secretary Gokul Barman said in the event of the Centre’s failure to fulfil the demands, they would stage more aggressive protests in the near future.

For the rights of Koch-Rajbongshi people, “if we need to raise guns, we will not hesitate and if any untoward incident takes places during the course of our agitation, the state government and the Centre will be held solely responsible”, Barman warned.