DIPR
Dimapur, October 25
Chief Minister TR Zeliang has expressed serious concern over the 1000-hour bandh called by the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) of Karbi Anglong district of Assam from October 27.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today, the Chief Minister conveyed his deep concern over the proposed bandh by the JACAS stating that Nagaland and Manipur are the worst affected by frequent bandhs imposed by various organizations of Karbi Anglong district of Assam.Zeliang pointed out in his letter to the Home Minister that such bandhs cause severe inconveniences to commuters and affect the supply of essential commodities causing artificial shortages and unrealistic price rise. He further expressed apprehension that the proposed 1000-hour bandh, the reason for which is not even remotely connected to Nagaland, would practically stop supplies of all essential commodities, including petroleum products, to Nagaland and Manipur.
The Chief Minister, therefore, appealed to the Union Home Minister for his personal intervention to ensure that the proposed bandh does not affect the interest and welfare of the people living in the two states of Nagaland and Manipur.
Zeliang had raised the issue of the all-too frequent bandhs in Karbi Anglong district at the meeting of two chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland with Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju at Dispur on August 21. He had voiced serious concerns over the hardships faced by the common citizens of Nagaland and Manipur due these bandhs and urged both the leaders to use their good offices to discourage and prevent such undesirable forms of agitations which affect the normal life of people not connected to the issue.
The present 1000-hour bandh has been called by the JACAS in protest against the Central government’s delay in announcing the schedule of the next round of talks with it since the last one held November 6, 2013. The JACAS is spearheading the demand for an autonomous state within Assam and the proposed 1000-hour bandh if imposed would start from 5 am on October 27 and would last for around 40 days greatly affecting normal life in Nagaland and Manipur apart from their own district of Karbi Anglong in Assam.
