State for Cooch Behar; Activists fast to death

New Delhi, Dec 3: Thousands of people, under the aegis of Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA), are sitting on a fast-unto death at Jantar Mantar here, demanding restoration of the 1949 Indian union merger agreement with the princely state.

Talking to UNI, GCPA General Secretary Nalini Kanta Burman said the state, comprising Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and also undivided Goalpara areas of Asom, was adopted in the Indian constitution on November 26, 1949 as a category C State.

The Cooch Behar State was administered under a Chief Commissioner up to December 31, 1949 and Mr Nan Jappa was the first Chief Commissioner of this recognised Cooch Behar State.

However, both the West Bengal and Asom Goverments were illegally ruling over those areas from January 1, 1950 and the Centre remained a mere spectator and never objected to this, Mr Burman alleged.

He said, ''our association is demanding the creation of Greater Cooch Behar for over fifty years but now we have come here to pray before the Centre to issue the necessary order prohibiting the State Governments of Asom and West Bengal to stop illegal ruling over those areas and simultaneously revoke the 1949 Indian Union merger's agreement and restore the honour of the people of the greater Cooch Behar region.'' Responding to a question whether they would like to take up arms for their cause, Mr Burman said, ''we are fighting our cause democratically. We could have taken up arms when the West Bengal Government's police killed two of our protesters, injured several of them and implicated several of our volunteers under false charges in September 2005.'' The General Secretary said the association also demands a thorough CBI inquiry into the September 2005 violence so that people know the truth.

UNI