North East students body calls bandh tomorrow

Guwahati: The North East Students Organisation (NESO), the apex student body of the region, has called a 12-hour bandh in all states of the region, except Assam, on Thursday to protest against influx of migrant labourers and others into the region from other states.

There will be bandhs in other states while a central rally would be held in Guwahati on Thursday to be participated by constituent student organisations of all the NE states, NESO chairman Dr Samujjal Bhattachrjya said.

The Assam government on August 29 declared a ban on all bandhs in the state for a month as the Centre was worried that some organisations were trying to stoke social tension by calling bandhs in the aftermath of the recent violence between tribal Bodos and the minorities.

The rally has also been organised to demand adequate security to NE students outside the region.

The rally has also been organised to demand adequate security to NE students outside the region in the aftermath of the recent attacks on them which resulted in large scale exodus, Bhattachrjya said.

Announcing about the bandh call in Manipur, a spokesman of the All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), a constituent of NESO, said in Imphal that the state government should take steps against entry of illegal migrant labourers and restrict entry of people from other states as the population of Manipuris is 'microscopic'.

The spokesman said representatives of AMSU would participate in the Guwahati rally.

Police posts in Manipur were alerted ahead of Thursday's strike, official sources said.

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) too has declared a 12-hour Arunachal Pradesh bandh on Thursday. In a statement in Itanagar, the AAPSU sought support and cooperation from people across the state.

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