Protest against deletion of Kalaigaon LAC in constituency delimitation draft

MANGALDAI: Taking part in a massive protest rally on June 28, several hundred agitated people, setting aside their political affiliation, raised their strong protest over the deletion of the name of 65 Kalaigaon LAC in the draft delimitation published by the Election Commission of India recently. Despite the scorching Sun, a large section of society, including senior citizens, women activists, and students, gathered in front of Kalaigaon Police Station at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and lodged a strong protest against the delimitation draft proposal in which the name of the existing 65 Kalaigaon LAC has been proposed to be abolished. The protest rally was jointly organised by twenty-two social organizations in Kalaigaon, including AASU, AJYCP, AMSU, AABYSF, Raijor Dol, Garia-Maria Association, Kalaigaon Mahila Samiti, Kendukalai Sahitya Samaj, Kalaigaon Press Club, Kalaigaon Press Guild, etc.

It may be mentioned here that, as per the proposed delimitation draft, the historic 65 Kalaigaon Assembly constituency will be abolished and all the area and villages will be merged into the proposed 48 Tangla LAC. Kalaigaon Assembly Constituency was formed in 1951, while the Kalaigaon Revenue Circle, established in 1886, was one of the first nine Revenue Circles of Assam during British rule. Further, Kalaigaon was the home village of Kendukalai, the legendary priest of Sri Sri Kamakhya Mandir. People strongly opposed the idea of abolishing 65 Kalaigaon LAC, as the act of the proposed delimitation draft would hurt the sentiment of the people and the historic identity of Kalaigaon.

Madhurjya Sarma, President, Kalaigaon Anchalik Students Union, in his welcome speech, requested the Election Commission of India reconsider the move and retain the name of Kalaigaon constituency as 48 Kalaigaon LAC.

Former AASU activists and journalists, namely Bhargab Kumar Das, Kanneswar Deka, Tankeswar Baruah, Jitumoni Deka, and Mosaddique Hussain, and leading women activists Khira Saikia Deka of Kalaigaon Lekhika Samaroh, Pankaj Asomiya of Raijor Dol, Dipjyoti Sarma of AJYCP, senior citizens and journalists Jayanta Kumar Das and Bandhu Ram Saharia, addressing the rally, vehemently opposed the proposed move to defame the glorious history and legacy of Kalaigaon. Agitated people also blocked Kalaigaon-Rangamati Road for three hours. Kaveri Rongpipi, Revenue Circle of Kalaigaon Revenue Circle, arrived at the protest site to receive the memorandum to be forwarded to the Election Commission of India, after which the protest rally was withdrawn.

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