New State Causes Protests, Strikes Across India

[Valin]

Via Meadia:

8/5/13

 

Indias ruling Congress party might have opened Pandoras box on a whole host of social and religious grievances across India with its attempt to create a new state, Telangana, in Indias southeast. Far away to the northeast, for example, different ethnic groups have gone on strike and staged violent protests in support of separate homelands for their communities.

 

Numerous competing groups have staged widespread protests and strikes in Assam since the Telangana decision last week. Groups of Bodos, a dominant ethnic group in the region, have set up road blocks, shut down train service, clashed with police, and set fire to administrative buildings through parts of the province. Schools, markets, and businesses have been closed for the sixth day in a row in some places. Similar separatist movements by other groups, including ethnic Bengali migrants, are gathering force and growing more frenzied and violent. Yesterday a Bodo group issued an ultimatum to the government, saying there is no alternative to Bodoland.