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GUWAHATI: Assam has ruled out further division of the state amid rumours of the surrender of Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) chief Jibon Singha, ahead of his talks with the Centre and signing of a peace accord culminating in the formation of a separate state of Kamatapur.
Formed in 1995, the KLO has been waging an armed struggle for a separate state by carving out territory from 10 districts of West Bengal and Assam.
Assam, which has undergone four divisions in nine years between 1963 and 1972 resulting in the creation of four new states, has ruled out such a possibility. “The Kamatapur separate state is a rumour. How can another division happen in Assam? It is impossible…never been discussed at any level,” a top government source said.
The source said, “This is also doing the rounds for a week now. Central agencies are in touch with him.”
The KLO, which was active in western part of Assam and North Bengal in West Bengal and once an ally of Ulfa in Bhutan and Myanmar, has expressed interest in peace talks with the government.
Singha alias Tamir Das in December 2021 had sent a letter to the Assam government expressing his desire for talks. After the state intelligence verified the authenticity of the letter, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a tweet then had welcomed the “desire of KLO leadership to join mainstream at an early date to resolve all issues through political dialogues. Govt of Assam would fully reciprocate this goodwill measure”.
Singha, who is believed to be in Myanmar, was booked by West Bengal police in April 2021 under UAPA for allegedly terming chief minister Mamata Banerjee an “outsider”.
Jibon hails from Kumargram in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and heads the KLO.
Assam already has three states-within-state
The KLO was formed in 1995 with the sole objective of carving out a separate Kamatapur state comprising six districts of West Bengal – Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda and four of Assam – Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara.
Assam’s breakup started in 1963 when the Naga Hills district became a separate state of Nagaland. In 1970, three districts Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills were formed into an autonomous state within Assam and in 1972, it was upgraded into a separate state of Meghalaya. Also in 1972, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were separated from Assam as union territories, both of which became full-fledged states in 1987. These divisions apart, Assam has three states-within-state as autonomous areas under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. In 1952, the North Cachar Autonomous Council and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and in 2020 the Bodoland Territorial Council (now Bodoland territorial Region) were formed.
Formed in 1995, the KLO has been waging an armed struggle for a separate state by carving out territory from 10 districts of West Bengal and Assam.
Assam, which has undergone four divisions in nine years between 1963 and 1972 resulting in the creation of four new states, has ruled out such a possibility. “The Kamatapur separate state is a rumour. How can another division happen in Assam? It is impossible…never been discussed at any level,” a top government source said.
The source said, “This is also doing the rounds for a week now. Central agencies are in touch with him.”
The KLO, which was active in western part of Assam and North Bengal in West Bengal and once an ally of Ulfa in Bhutan and Myanmar, has expressed interest in peace talks with the government.
Singha alias Tamir Das in December 2021 had sent a letter to the Assam government expressing his desire for talks. After the state intelligence verified the authenticity of the letter, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a tweet then had welcomed the “desire of KLO leadership to join mainstream at an early date to resolve all issues through political dialogues. Govt of Assam would fully reciprocate this goodwill measure”.
Singha, who is believed to be in Myanmar, was booked by West Bengal police in April 2021 under UAPA for allegedly terming chief minister Mamata Banerjee an “outsider”.
Jibon hails from Kumargram in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and heads the KLO.
Assam already has three states-within-state
The KLO was formed in 1995 with the sole objective of carving out a separate Kamatapur state comprising six districts of West Bengal – Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda and four of Assam – Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara.
Assam’s breakup started in 1963 when the Naga Hills district became a separate state of Nagaland. In 1970, three districts Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills were formed into an autonomous state within Assam and in 1972, it was upgraded into a separate state of Meghalaya. Also in 1972, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were separated from Assam as union territories, both of which became full-fledged states in 1987. These divisions apart, Assam has three states-within-state as autonomous areas under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. In 1952, the North Cachar Autonomous Council and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and in 2020 the Bodoland Territorial Council (now Bodoland territorial Region) were formed.
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