Bandh in Assam districts disrupts traffic to Mizoram,Meghalaya

Guwahati, Jan 19 (PTI) Vehicular traffic to Meghalaya andMizoram was affected and some trains cancelled in response toan ongoing 36-hr bandh in Dima Hasao district and itsadjoining Dimasa-inhabited areas of Karbi Anglong district inAssam.

The bandh affected Dholai and Udarbond blocks ofneighbouring Cachar district as the Dimaraji volunteers put upblockades with tree logs and formed human barricades to stallmovement of vehicular traffic on national highways 44 and 54linking the district with Meghalaya and Mizoram, officialsources said.

The police had to resort to mild lathi charge thereto disperse the protestors for restoring traffic movementto the neighbouring states, the sources said.

The bandh, which began at 5 am yesterday, was called bythe Joint Action Committee of Dimaraji Movement for a Dimarajistate comprising Dima Hasao district (formerly North CacharHills) and some areas of Cachar, Nagaon and Karbi Anglongdistricts.

Markets, shops, educational institutions, banks and mostof the central and state government offices remained closed inthe two districts, the sources said.

The bandh also affected the movement of trains with theNortheast Frontier Railway cancelling today a number of localpassengers trains, besides rescheduling the 12423 downGuwahati-Delhi Rajdhani to leave at 1.30 pm today instead of7.05 am. PTI ESB

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