Guwahati, December 15 : Assam begins to simmer after New Delhi 's decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.
The move of the Centre has provoked ethnic groups in Assam to renew their demands for separate states.
Comunities like the Bodos, Karbis, Dimasas and Koch Rajbongshis have announced to call series of bandhs in the next few days in Assam demanding statehood even as the Assam government made its stand clear that it would not allow the state to be divided any further and appealed to all to live together as one people.
The United Democratic People's Front (UDPF), a newly formed group, called a 36-hour Assam bandh from 5 am of Monday, demanding a separate state for the Bodos and other indigenous tribes.
The Front envisions a separate state "covering areas stretching from the Sankosh in the west to Sadiya in the east along the north bank of the Brahmaputra, six tribal autonomous council areas of Deuri, Lalung, Mising, Rabha, Sonowal and Thengal Kachari and all tribal belts and blocks".
Other ethnic groups in Assam folowed suit after the Bodo community renews its demand for statehood.
Prompted by New Delhi's nod in carving out Telangana, the Bodo People's Front (BPF), an ally of ruling Congress in the state which also rules the Bodoland Territorial Council, raised its demand for a separate Bodoland on the floor of the Assembly during the recent winter session.
"Ours is genuine since we have been demanding a separate Bodoland since 1967," said a BPF leader.
Meanwhile, in the hill district of Karbi Anglong, the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) has called a 60-hour bandh from 5 am of December 15 demanding statehood.
Alongside the ASDC, a number of Dimasa organizations too have called a 36-hour "Dimaraji bandh" from 5 am of December 15.The bandh has been called demanding the creation of Dimaraji, one of the major demands of Dimasa extremist group now in ceasefire with the government Dima Halam Daogah (DHD).
The ASDC in its press communique has said: "The announcement for the creation of Telangana state proves that the government does have the policy to create new states".
Joining the line in renewing the statehood demand is the Koch Rajbonshis.
They demand a separate Kamatapur by carving out parts of Assam and north Bengal.
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