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Guwahati: Assam’s 12-hour long sit-in by six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status drew mixed responses on Tuesday, with normal life disrupted in parts of the state.
A number of bandh supporters were also arrested by the police, officials said.
The strike was jointly called by various organizations of Tai Ahom, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Adivasi, Matak and Moran communities, who were demanding ST status.
Responding to the call for closure, the minister of state Himanta Biswa Sarma said that people have the right to protest in a democratic country.
He added that the members of his cabinet regularly contacted the leaders of the clans to ask about their demands.
The bandh triggered mixed responses in parts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charideo, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts, according to reports.
Supporters of the strike burned tires in the streets, with businesses mostly closed and public transport running thin, officials said.
The protesters warned that they would intensify the agitation if the communities were not given ST status first.
The police said that adequate measures have been taken to prevent any untoward incident.
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