SILCHAR: A 100-hour Dima Hasao bandh that began at 1 am on Monday, crippled life in the non-Dimasa tribal-dominated pockets of Assam's Dima Hasao district. However, the bandh, to continue till 5 am on Friday, failed to evoke any response in the Dimasa-dominated areas of the hill district.
North Cachar Hills Indigenous Peoples Forum (NCHIPF) called the bandh seeking bifurcation of the district among the Dimasas and the non-Dimasas and creation of another autonomous council.
Sources said normal life in Haflong, Mahur, Harangajao and Ditekcherra came to a standstill due to the bandh. All shops and business establishments, banks, post offices, educational institutes and other government establishments remained closed. The roads bore a deserted look as no vehicles plied during the first day of the bandh.
In Maibang, Umrangshu and other areas where Dimasas are in majority, the bandh failed to evoked much response. Cancellation of trains and services of long-distance buses across the district affected normal life to some extent in these parts nevertheless. NFR announced cancellation of Silchar-Lumding Barak Valley Express and Lumding-Haflong Hill Queen trains and termination of movement of Agartala-Lumding Express and Silchar-Lumding Cachar Express trains to various destinations in the wake of the 100-hour bandh, said an NFR spokesperson.