ASDC youth convention

From a Correspondent

DIPHU, Feb 2: The two-day ASDC Youth Front convention which concluded here yesterday discussed the evolution and strength of youth leadership in Karbi Anglong and their role in shaping the autonomy movement under the banner of the ASDC. It has also discussed ways and means to reorganize the youth movements as a united and rejuvenated force to carry forward the autonomous state movement. The convention also passed resolution to establish friendly ties with all the students and youth organizations to assess the possibilities to incorporate common minimum programme and launch a new phase of agitation programme under one platform. It has also decided to pursue vigorously the enrolment drive to achieve the target of bringing 10,000 youths to the party fold by the end of 2011.

Karbi Anglong rally demands self-rule

(Assam Tribune)
Sanjoy Ray
DIPHU (KARBI ANGLONG), Jan 11 – More than 20 socio-political organisations, including the banned UPDS, which made its debut public appearance today after signing the unilateral ceasefire in 2002, gathered for a mass rally at the Karbi Anglong Sports’ Association (KASA) Ground pressing for ‘self-rule’ in the hill district. The rally was attended by over 50,000 people.

Other organisations which took part in the rally comprised the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), BJP, NCP, Karbi Students’ Association (KSA), Karbi Cultural Society (KCS), Karbi Anglong Peoples’ Party (KAPP) and some other bodies representing the different communities living in Karbi Anglong such as the Tiwas, Dimasas, Nagas, Thadou (Kukis), Mizos, Hindi-speaking, Bengali-speaking and all other religious and linguistic minority organisations.

The rally also proposed a platform including all the pro-autonomy forces under one umbrella so as to back the peace talks with the UPDS and to fulfill the political demands of the people of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills – self-rule or implementation of Article 244 (A) in the districts.

ASDC general secretary Elwin Teron said, “The union of people from all communities of the district was necessary for peace. We all have proposed to form a common platform today which would ensure that the ruling government could not play politics at the fag-end of negotiations between the Centre and the UPDS. The mass gathering, I believe, would send the right signal to those at the helm of affairs,” he added.

“Most of the cadres of the armed groups are in their designated camps now but there is a general assumption that they are becoming impatient as the formal talks are being delayed. They might return to gun culture any time if the talks are delayed further. The proposed platform is also going to ask the Centre to announce a timeframe to complete the negotiations with the insurgents,” he said.

He, meanwhile, welcomed the decision of the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) to come to the peace process with the Government and appealed to them to espouse a common cause with the pro-autonomy forces.

UPDS general secretary Haren Bay alias Sai Ding-eh also appealed to the leaders of the KLNLF to come and join the proposed forum so that the demand for ‘Hemprek Kangthim’ or self-rule could be strengthened.

The rally also resolved that if the Government granted statehood to Telangana, it must fulfill the political demands of the people of Karbi Anglong at least by granting the promised autonomy under Article 244 (A) of the Constitution of India.

ASDC to step up Statehood demand

HAFLONG, Dec 13 – The ASDC has threatened to launch a fresh agitation demanding announcement of a time-frame for implementation of Article 244(A) by the Government of India, stated a press release issued by the ASDC NC Hills district committee. The release maintained that the announcement for creation of Telengana state proved that the Government did not have a policy to create new states after all. But in recent years the Government has by brute force dismissed state demands of tribal groups in the North-East on the plea that the government no longer has a policy to create new states, including the Karbi Anglong and NC Hills demand; otherwise the government has no ground to deny statehood to the twin hill districts.

Autonomous statehood is the commitment of the nation to the people of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills by an Act of Parliament as Article 244 (A) of the Constitution. This commitment has not been honoured and if the mood of theGovernment of Assam is any indication, will not be honored in future. This is deliberate betrayal causing deep resentment in the twin hills which progressively metamorphosed into mass anger and later on into armed struggle. That is the cause of the violence and mayhem that gripped the two hills for the past one decade, and thegovernment should accept full responsibilit.