Centre rejects UPDS demand for a Karbi state; 234 Islamic militants lodged in various Assam jails
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  • The Telegraph reported that the central government on April 11 rejected the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) demand for a Karbi state. Sources indicated that the government rejected the demand as there was “no policy at present for the creation of a new state,” either under Article 3 or Article 244-A of the Constitution. In the meantime, the UPDS has threatened to join hands with the Nunisa-led-Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) to prepare a common set of demands. While the UPDS was demanding statehood in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District, the DHD was demanding a Dimaraji state, comprising parts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts as well as Nagaland1.

    Meanwhile, Rockybul Hussain, the Assam Minister for Forests and Environment told the State Assembly on April 1, that altogether 234 militants belonging to various Islamic militant groups were currently lodged in different jails in the state. Among them, as many as 150 belonged to the Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA), 50 to the Harkat-ul-Muzahideen (HuM), and seven were ISI operatives. These groups reportedly recruited young boys from the districts of Dhubri, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Karimganj, Cachar, Hailakandi, Nalbari, Nagaon and Darrang and send them out for training in Bangladesh and Pakistan2.

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