Scores of protesters sat on a hunger strike here today, demanding formation of a separate Cooch Behar state, which was merged with West Bengal in 1950.
The hunger strike scheduled from December 8 to December 12 was organised by the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association, which had earlier held similar protests demanding a separate state.
"We are ethnic bona fide Rajbanshi people of Cooch Behar state and have been demanding formation of the separate state since decades. The government decided to go ahead with forming Telangana but our demand is still pending," one of the protesters said.
Under an agreement between the king of Cooch Behar and the Indian Government at the end of British rule, Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan transferred full authority, jurisdiction and power of the state to the government in 1949.
Cooch Behar District became part of the state of West Bengal on 19 January 1950, with Cooch Behar town as its headquarters.
