Guwahati: Protests have erupted across Assam for and against granting of tribal status to various ethnic communities, election to autonomous councils as well as against the demand for Bodoland state carved out of Assam.
In Dibrugarh district today Ahom, Motok and Moran communities jointly blocked the road to the airport in Dibrugarh town from 11 am for several hours preventing over 250 passengers from reaching the aerodrome, official sources said.
More than 3000 slogan shouting and banner carrying protesters from different organisations of the three ethnic communities squatted on the road and prevented movement of vehicles, the sources said.
About 250 passengers were stranded while another 30 Dibrugarh-Guwahati-Delhi Jetlite and 20 Dibrugarh-Kolkata Indigo flight passengers, however, managed to enter the airport as they went there early, they added.
The demonstrators were demanding Scheduled Tribe status under the Sixth Schedule for the three communities.
In neighbouring Dhemaji district, non-Mising people called a 36-hour bandh from 5 am yesterday affecting normal life protesting the inclusion of the non ethnic community villages.
During census for the Mising Autonomous Council, non-Mising villages were included resulting in protests, the sources said adding Misings demanding election to their council as no polls had been held since its establishment in 1996.
Yesterday, the agitationists had turned violent prompting the police to resort to lathi charge and blank firing. None was injured.
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