Shutdown hits life in 4 Assam districts

Normal life was hit on Monday in four districts of Assam due to a 12-hour shutdown called by some non-Bodo outfits protesting against the Central government's decision to ink a peace accord with the various Bodo groups.

According to officials, the shutdown affected Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri districts, which are under the jurisdiction of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), but the other areas in the state remained unaffected.

There were no reports of any major violence from anywhere in the state so far, said the officials.

Educational institutes remained closed, although some pre-scheduled college examinations were held in the four districts, where vehicles stayed off roads, while shops and business establishments were also shut.

The trains, however, were running normally, sources said.

Among the organisations who called for the shutdown are the All Bodo Minority Students' Union (ABMSU), All Adivasi Students' Union and the Kalita Janagoshti Students' Union.

They have pressed for their demand that all non-Bodo organisations in the BTC jurisdiction as also the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) be made a party to the peace talks and signatories to the accord.-IANS