KPP to demand bigger area for ‘Kamtapur’ state

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Siliguri, 15 Jul 2014: The Kamtapuri People’s Party is all set to prepare its strategy for a separate statehood movement that proposes to include lower Assam and Bihar along with North Bengal.

The KPP has been demanding a Kamtapuri state comprising some parts of North Bengal and Cooch Behar district, and now its movement is taking on a bigger dimension with the inclusion of lower Assam and Bihar.

KKP chief Atul Roy said, “To give an even wider shape to our age-old movement for a separate state of Kamtapur, we have renamed our organisation as the All Kamtapur People's Party(AKPP) after including organisations from Assam. The new body will carry forward the movement henceforth.”

The KPP supported the BJP by urging community members to cast their votes in favour of SS Ahluwalia in the general election and its leaders are hopeful the Centre will fulfill their demand.

Roy said the BJP election manifesto had stated the Kamtapuri people’s demands would be fulfilled and the party has strong faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Further, the KPP has warned the state government not to interfere in the Kamtapuri people’s age-old demand for a separate state. Party leaders said the Kamtapuri community has always been sidelined by both the state and central governments.