Barak Democratic Front calls 12-hour bandh on November 18

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Barak Democratic Front has called a 12-hour bandh on November 18 to protest discrimination by the State government against the youths of the valley in recent examination for grade III and IV posts. Further, the bandh would also register protest against the continuous torture on Bengali speaking and other non tribals in Meghalaya by various Khasi groups.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Pradip Dutta Roy, chief convener of BDF said, the recently declared results of the examinations for grade III and IV posts were sufficient to prove the step-motherly attitude of the BJP government towards the youths of Barak Valley. Claiming that less than three per cent of candidates from the three districts of the valley could figure in the result sheets, Dutta Roy expressed fear that the percentage would further go down in the next round of oral interview. Stating that the youths from Barak Valley never lacked in skill and talent levels as a huge number of them had been working in other States and even abroad in lucrative jobs, Dutta Roy further demanded that the government should publish the complete result sheets with marks scored by the candidates in newspapers. Fresh examination for Barak Valley should be arranged by the government to provide jobs to at least one thousand youths of Barak Valley, Dutta Roy said.

BDF had further raised the demand for banning Khasi Students' Union as the non-tribals of Meghalaya had been constantly harassed and tortured by this outfit for the last 50 years. Referring to the recent of violence on the non tribals in Shillong during a rally by a local outfit, the BDF leaders said these Khasi groups in clear terms had been declaring that Khasis were 'Indian by accident' and hence government should immediately ban them as anti national organisations. BDF further alleged that local BJP representatives and leaders were silent in the issue for their personal benefit. Dutta Roy said, the proposed bandh would register a protest against the discrimination, harassment and torture the Bengali-speaking people had been subjected to both in Assam and Meghalaya.

Also Read:  BDF demands separate economic council for Barak Valley

Also Watch: