News-Centre asks Koch Rajbongshis to drop statehood demand

Centre asks Koch Rajbongshis to drop statehood demand

Source:The Assam Tribune,4th Sept 2013.

               NEW DELHI, Sept 3 – The Centre today advised the Koch Rajbongshi community to focus their demand for safeguard of their identity and drop the demand for creation of a separate State of Kamatapur.

As part of its move to engage with organisations demanding separate States, the Centre today held the second round of tripartite talks with Koch Rajbongshi community in two phases. The first round was with Biswajit Rai faction of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU), while the second round was with the Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilita Mahasabha (KRSM).

                The Sanmilita Mahasabha is a joint platform of at least 12 organisations. Interestingly, both the groups today brought along with them representatives from West Bengal to participate in the talks. The proposed Kamatapur state is spread over 15 districts of Assam including Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Baska, Barpeta, Udalguri, Darrang, Dhemaji, Kamrup, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Nalbari and Sonitpur, while the six districts of West Bengal include Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda.

                At the talks with AKRSU, the Centre asked the agitators to focus on their demand for grant of Schedule Tribe (ST) status and safeguard of their identity, rather than demanding a separate state.

                Later, talking to newsmen at the venue of the meeting, State Home Commissioner Mukti Gogoi said that the Government has advised them to draft a report detailing the population pattern and map of the proposed Kamatapur state. “We have asked them to present us the population pattern of the proposed new state detailing the Assembly and Parliamentary segments,” he said.

                The State Home Commissioner was part of the State Government team in the talks that was chaired by Shambhu Singh, Joint Secretary (North East). “All demands were discussed and we have asked them to come up with all relevant data in the next meeting,” he said.

                Briefing newsmen, Biswajit Rai said that their main demand is the creation of a state of Kamatapur. “We have also demanded Constitutional status for Koch Rajbongshi language,” Rai, who led a 11-member delegation, said.

Meanwhile, the discussion with KRSM was described as fruitful by former Lok Sabha MP Madhab Rajbongshi, who was part of the delegation.

                He said that they have explained to the Government the genesis of their demand for a separate state, which is based on the Merger Agreement of February 28, 1949.

                The officials have asked us to bring all the relevant documents in connection with the agreement at the next round of talks,” he said.

                The Joint Secretary also explained creation of separate State is a political issue, which has to be taken up at the highest political level, he said.

                On the demand for ST status, the KRSM presented to the Government all relevant documents, including Central Government’s assurance and recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee.