Bandh in Assam Disrupts Traffic To Mizoram, Meghalaya

Guwahati, Jan 19 : Vehicular traffic to Meghalaya and Mizoram was affected and some trains cancelled in response to an ongoing 36-hr bandh in Dima Hasao district and its adjoining Dimasa-inhabited areas of Karbi Anglong district in Assam.

The bandh affected Dholai and Udarbond blocks of neighbouring Cachar district as the Dimaraji volunteers put up blockades with tree logs and formed human barricades to stall movement of vehicular traffic on national highways 44 and 54 linking the district with Meghalaya and Mizoram, official sources said.

The police had to resort to mild lathi charge there to disperse the protestors for restoring traffic movement to the neighboring states, the sources said.

The bandh, which began at 5 am yesterday, was called by the Joint Action Committee of Dimaraji Movement for a Dimaraji state comprising Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills) and some areas of Cachar, Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts.

Markets, shops, educational institutions, banks and most of the central and state government offices remained closed in the two districts, the sources said.

The bandh also affected the movement of trains with the Northeast Frontier Railway cancelling today a number of local passengers trains, besides rescheduling the 12423 down Guwahati-Delhi Rajdhani to leave at 1.30 pm today instead of 7.05 am.