Assam: Amri Karbi groups to boycott Tiwa council polls

GUWAHATI:

Amri Karbi groups in six constituencies under Dimoria tribal block in Kamrup Metro district of Assam have decided to boycott the Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) elections on December 17.

The decision was taken by six Amri Karbi organisations led by the Amri Karbi Students’ Union after the culmination of a three-day/night sit-in demonstration on December 16 demanding exclusion of the six constituencies under Dimoria tribal block from the ambit of the TAC polls.

Thousands of protesters took part in a procession from Sakuni Bari, Sonapur (22 Mile area) to Khetri and back on Wednesday, holding placards and raising slogans against the elections and demanding autonomy for the six constituencies which have a sizable Amri Karbi population.

“We have urged the voters to abstain from voting tomorrow in protest against non-fulfilment of our demands, which also includes autonomy for the Amri Karbi community in the six constituencies under Dimoria block,” Dharmeshwar Teron, General Secretary of the Amri Karbi Students’ Union said.

Amri Karbis comprise about 50 per cent of the electorate of 78,000 across the six constituencies. “Of this, the Tiwa electorate would comprise about 8,000 voters,” Teron said.

Elections to the Tiwa Autonomous Council across 36 constituencies in parts of Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon and Hojai districts, are scheduled on December 17.

“We have nothing against the conduct of the polls in the other 30 constituencies in three districts. But since we have a sizable population from our community in the six constituencies under Dimoria block, there should be no election here,” Teron said.

TAC elections have since 2010 been stalled owing to a series of protests by the Amri Karbi groups. However, last year, the High Court had directed that the polls would be held in 2020.

(Edited by Laxmi Chyrmang)

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