KSDC Suspends Rail Protest After Centre Assures Talks on Kamatapur State Demand

The Kamtapur State Demand Council (KSDC) on Tuesday staged a large-scale protest near the Halakura railway track in Assam, reiterating its long-standing demand for the creation of a separate Kamatapur state and constitutional recognition of the Koch Rajbongshi community. The agitation was temporarily suspended later in the day after central government representatives assured the protesters that formal discussions on their demands would be held in New Delhi within the next seven days.

The protest began in the early hours near the Rowta Bagan Lakshmi Temple area, close to the Assam–West Bengal railway line, where around 500 protesters assembled under the banner of the KSDC and allied Koch Rajbongshi organisations. Demonstrators raised slogans and displayed placards demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, recognition of the Koch Rajbongshi language, and political safeguards for the community, which has a significant population across lower Assam and parts of North Bengal.

As part of the agitation, the KSDC had announced a railway blockade from 6 am, warning that train services along the strategic Assam–West Bengal corridor could be disrupted if their demands continued to be ignored. However, the blockade did not materialize due to extensive deployment of police, Railway Protection Force (RPF), and district administration officials in and around the protest site. Authorities maintained a close watch on the situation to ensure that rail traffic remained unaffected.

Protester said the decision to call for a railway blockade was taken to draw national attention to what they described as decades-old unresolved constitutional issues. “The Koch Rajbongshi community has been seeking ST status, language recognition, and statehood for generations. Successive governments have held talks and made promises, but there has been no concrete outcome,” a senior KSDC spokesperson told reporters at the protest site.

According to the protesters, officials from the central government and local administration held multiple rounds of discussions with KSDC representatives during the day. Following these talks, the organization agreed to temporarily suspend the railway blockade after receiving assurances that a formal meeting with central authorities would be convened in New Delhi within a week. KSDC leaders said they expect the government to present a clear timeline and framework for discussions on all three core demands.

“The suspension of the blockade is a goodwill gesture from our side. We want dialogue, not confrontation. But if the promised talks do not take place within the stipulated time, we will be forced to intensify our movement,” the protester warned.

The renewed agitation comes amid a resurgence of the Kamatapur statehood movement across lower Assam and adjoining districts of West Bengal in recent months. The KSDC and allied organisations have held rallies, conventions, and road blockades in areas such as Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon, Dhubri, and Alipurduar, asserting that the Koch Rajbongshi community has remained politically marginalized despite its large population and distinct cultural identity.

Activists argue that constitutional recognition of the Koch Rajbongshi language under the Eighth Schedule, along with ST status, is essential for protecting their socio-cultural rights and ensuring access to educational and employment opportunities. They have also demanded that any future talks involve elected representatives, community leaders, and subject experts to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound resolution.

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