One killed in Indian state in strike over immigration

At least one person was killed and several injured when police fired on a violent crowd at the start of a 36-hour general strike that started Thursday in the oil-producing state of Assam, in northeastern India, to demand the eviction of foreign immigrants, mainly from neighboring Bangladesh.

The Indian government banned strikes of essential services, but reports say all private transport stopped and shops and bazaars were closed.

The strike was the latest move in a two-year campaign led by students against people they describe as illegal immigrants, especially the 1.5 million people who migrated to Assam from Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in the 1960s.