HT Bureau
DIPHU, Dec 7: The Karbis and Dimasas of the three hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao have the right to have an autonomous state as it is a constitutional provision, said the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and its frontal organisations.
Related Posts:
In a press handout, the party publicity secretary, Daniel Teron said that the ASDC, Karbi Students Association (KSA) and Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) have sent a memorandum to Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday requesting him not to adopt a pick and choose policy in respect to the creation of new states.
“The Central government is clandestinely contemplating to create two new states of Kamatapur to be carved out of Bengal and certain parts of Assam which are out in the electronic media of Assam,” he said.
According to him, talks were initiated between the Central government and Eastern Naga People Organisations (ENPO) on December 6 for the creation of Eastern Nagaland.
Criticising the All Party Hills Leaders Conference (APHLC) for giving preference for the full exercise of the 6th Schedule rather than creation of an autonomous state, Teron said that when the central government is contemplating for creation of new states, the APHLC demands the exercise of the 6th Schedule which is negating the demand for autonomous state.
The party general secretary and former chief executive member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Jotson Bey said, “When Meghalaya was created in 1969, Parliament had incorporated Article 244(A) in the Constitution of India for creation of Autonomous State comprising Karbi Anglong and NC Hills (now Dima Hasao). It has now become a constitutional right and the Karbis and Dimasas of the two hill districts have the right to demand for an Autonomous State.”
Bey also said that every successive government at the Centre creates new states on the line of community and language.
“In the Northeast, Nagaland was created out of a single Nagaland hill district, Mizoram was created from Lushai hill district and Meghalaya was created from three autonomous hill districts comprising Garo hills, Khasi hills and Jaintia hills districts. In this context, Karbi Anglong has every constitutional right to form an autonomous state,” he said.
The president of ASDC, Chandra Kanta Terang said there is a provision in the Constitution of India for granting an autonomous state for the hill districts in Assam, but the successive governments at the Centre have not taken interest in it.
