The Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) election on December 17 was decided to be refused by the Amri Karbi groups in six constituencies under Dimoria tribal block in Kamrup Metro district of Assam.

Making demands for the exclusion of the six constituencies under Dimoria tribal block from the bounds of the TAC polls, a three-day/night sit-in demonstration was done on December 16 after which six Amri Karbi organizations led by the Amri Karbi Students’ Union took the decision.

Demands on autonomy for the six constituencies were made by holding placards and raising slogans against the elections. Protestors from Sakuni Bari, Sonapur (22 Mile area) to Khetri and back took part in the procession.

General Secretary of the Amri Karbi Students’ Union, Dharmeshwar Teron said “We have urged the voters to abstain from voting tomorrow in protest against non-fulfillment of our demands, which also includes autonomy for the Amri Karbi community in the six constituencies under Dimoria block”.

Of 78,000 electorates across the six constituencies, 50 percent of them comprises of Amri Karbis. “Of this, the Tiwa electorate would comprise about 8,000 voters,” Teron said.

On December 17, the Tiwa Autonomous Council polls will be held across 36 constituencies in parts of Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon and Hojai districts.

Teron said, “We have nothing against the conduct of the polls in the other 30 constituencies in three districts. But since we have a sizable population from our community in the six constituencies under Dimoria block, there should be no election here”.

The High Court had directed that the polls would be held in 2020 as protests by the Amri Karbi groups have restrained TAC polls since 2010.