In the wake of the Congress’ decision in favour of a separate Telangana, people’s movements for autonomy and statehood in other parts of the country have asserted themselves. The Government, predictably, is responding with repression. In Darjeeling, the West Bengal Government led by Mamata Banerjee is responding with arrogance and chauvinism, while the Centre continues to deny the long-standing and just demand for Gorkhaland.

The Assam Government has unleashed repression on people’s movement activists in Karbi Anglong, especially CPI(ML) activists, as they raise the demand for autonomous statehood. Meanwhile the local unit of the Congress party poses as a supporter of the cause of autonomous statehood, remaining unscathed by repression, even as its governments at Assam and at the Centre reject the demand for autonomous statehood, provision for which already exists in the Constitution under Article 244A!

On 1st August, Comrades Laichan Engleng, President, KSA, Binod Rongphar, General Secretary, KSA and Sander Terong, Finance Secretary, KSA were arrested and beaten badly in custody. Subsequently, Comrade Rabi Kumar Phancho, Central Committee Member of the CPI(ML) went to the DC office to submit a memorandum for their release, and was arrested on his way back! Not only that, the CPI(ML) office was raided in the night, and all those present in the office were arrested and jailed, including Comrade Rabi Phangcho’s teenage son Jeebo, who was merely waiting in the hope of his father’s return.

A total of 18 comrades of Karbi Anglong are now in Assam jails. Many of them have been transferred from Diphu jail to Nagaon jail, outside the district, far from their families. On 13th August, Comrade Rabi Phangcho (still in Diphu jail) was produced in Court, where 6 additional sections were added to the 12 sections under which he had already been booked.

On 8th August, severe repression was unleashed on the CPI(ML)’s silent procession in Diphu. The police lathicharged the protesters, more than 80% of whom were women, and fired blanks. Assam State Secretary Bibek Das, Polit Bureau member Rubul Sarma, Assam State Committee Member Arup Mahanta, and Hill Party Committee members Khorsing Sinner and Sam Kiling were among the 27 comrades including 15 women who were severely lathicharged. Comrade Bibek Das was arrested and jailed, and released the next day.

To protest the repression, a procession was held in the Assam capital Guwahati on the 12th, in which 500 people marched from Guwahati Railway Station to the DC office at Kamrup. A memorandum was submitted to the Governor and Union Home Minister demanding the unconditional release of all arrested activists and leaders, autonomous statehood for Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts under Article 244A, and immediate tripartite talks between Assam and Central Governments and movement leaders on the question of autonomous statehood.

On August 5th, a dharna was held by the CPI(ML), CPRM and the Karbi Students’ Union Delhi, demanding statehood for Gorkhaland and autonomous statehood for Karbi Anglong in the wake of the decision for a separate Telangana. The dharna was addressed by Swapan Mukherjee, PB member of CPI(ML), Arun Ghatani of CPRM, Mongve Rongpi of the KSUD and several other activists and students. Below is the text of a memorandum that was submitted to the Home Minister.

To the Home Minister,
Government of India

Subject: Immediately resolve statehood aspirations for Gorkhaland and for autonomous or separate state of Karbi Anglong; Constitute Second States Reorganisation Commission in this session of Parliament.

Sir,

The Congress party’s announcement of its intention to form the 29th state, Telangana, is belated but welcome. All credit goes to the sustained struggle of the region’s people, and we are sure that the people will remain vigilant until the announcement is honoured by the UPA Government in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the announcement has rightly raised questions about the attitude of the UPA Government to other long-pending struggles for separate states and autonomous statehood.

One of the most long-sustained struggles is for the separate state of Gorkhaland, raised by people of Darjeeling and Indian Gorkhas, a demand that has a strong linguistic and cultural basis. The tripartite accord replacing the erstwhile Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has completely failed to satisfy the Gorkha people, and the demand for a Gorkhaland state to resolve the identity crisis of the Gorkha people has gained momentum and cannot be ignored any further. We demand the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland, without delay.

There are many pending aspirations of people for separate states, in other parts of the country. We demand that in this very session of Parliament, the UPA Government set up a second States Reorganisation Commission, as the best way of resolving the popular demands for separate states in a time-bound and holistic manner.

The people of Assam’s hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao are rightly incensed that while demands for separate states requiring Constitutional amendments are being met time and again by NDA and UPA Governments, their peaceful agitation for autonomous statehood under Article 244 A of the Constitution has been ignored for decades.

Moreover, protests in Karbi Anglong are being suppressed by brute force. A young student was killed in police firing and several students injured severely. Curfew has been imposed, and the army is conducting flag marches. Activists – except for those belonging to the Congress Party – are being indiscriminately arrested with no basis. On 2nd August, Laichan Engleng, President, KSA, Binod Rongphar, General Secretary, KSA and Sander Terong, Finance Secretary, KSA were arrested. Comrade Rabi Kumar Phancho, Central Committee Member of the CPI(ML) went to the DC office to submit a memorandum for their release, and was arrested on his way back! Not only that, the CPI(ML) office was raided in the night, and all those present in the office were arrested and jailed, including Comrade Rabi Phancho’s teenage son Jeebo, who was merely waiting in the hope of his father’s return.

Instead of such repression, the long-standing demand of the people of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao for an autonomous state under Article 244 A can be met by your Government immediately, without an instant’s delay. There is no Constitutional hurdle to granting this demand. If this demand is not met immediately, then the UPA Government should agree for formation of a separate Hill State of Karbi Anglong. The aspirations for democracy and development of the people remain unfulfilled and the movement continues for an Autonomous State or a separate Hill State.

All people raising these demands in Karbi Anglong are being arrested – while Congress leaders in the region, also raising demands of autonomous statehood, are not being arrested! This blatant political persecution and targeting is clearly so that the Congress can masquerade as the champion of autonomous statehood while their own Governments deny and crush these aspirations. We demand that your Government and Ministry intervene to secure the immediate release of all political prisoners and agitators in Karbi Anglong.

Narbu Lama,
Secretary, CPRM
Swapan Mukherjee,
Polit Bureau Member, CPI(ML)