12-hr bandh seeking ST status for Adivasis cripples western Assam

  • | Friday | 18th January, 2019

The All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKSRU), which has also been demanding ST status for the Koch Rajbongshi community of Assam for long, also extended support to the AJM strike.“Without harming the interests of other existing ST communities, the Adivasis want ST status in Assam. We are the original tribes of India and have all the features similar to the tribes which are currently enjoying the ST status in the state, including the Bodos. Chief convener of CCTOA, Aditya Khakhlari, said they will not support any move that can lead to encroachment of ST quota of the existing tribes. The government should grant ST status to us without any further delay,” said Prem Hasda, working president of AJM.He added that the Adivasis never want to encroach into the ST quota of the existing tribes enjoying the tag.In the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019, inclusion of the names of the six communities — Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and Tea Tribes — has figured for granting ST status. Guwahati: Life was completely paralyzed in western Assam on Friday owing to a 12-hour Assam bandh called by the Adivasi Jatiya Mahasabha (AJM), seeking urgent measures from the Centre and the state government to pass the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that proposes to grant Scheduled Tribe ( ST ) status to six communities of the state.Commercial establishments, educational institutions and offices remained closed in several parts of the state during the bandh hours and vehicles were off the roads.

Guwahati: Life was completely paralyzed in western Assam on Friday owing to a 12-hour Assam bandh called by the Adivasi Jatiya Mahasabha (AJM), seeking urgent measures from the Centre and the state government to pass the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that proposes to grant Scheduled Tribe ( ST ) status to six communities of the state.Commercial establishments, educational institutions and offices remained closed in several parts of the state during the bandh hours and vehicles were off the roads. While the impact of the shutdown call given by the AJM was total in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas, including Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts, the adjoining Bongaigaon district and the Adivasi belt in northeastern part of the state was also affected.However, no major incident of violence took place during the bandh called by the Adivasis, who are also opposing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKSRU), which has also been demanding ST status for the Koch Rajbongshi community of Assam for long, also extended support to the AJM strike.“Without harming the interests of other existing ST communities, the Adivasis want ST status in Assam. We are the original tribes of India and have all the features similar to the tribes which are currently enjoying the ST status in the state, including the Bodos. The government should grant ST status to us without any further delay,” said Prem Hasda, working president of AJM.He added that the Adivasis never want to encroach into the ST quota of the existing tribes enjoying the tag.In the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019, inclusion of the names of the six communities — Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and Tea Tribes — has figured for granting ST status. However, the percentage of reservation to be earmarked for the six communities after getting the tag and and other vital formalities have to be completed by the state government before the bill can be passed in Parliament.On the other hand, the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) has opposed the bill brought by the Centre to grant ST status to the six communities of the state. Chief convener of CCTOA, Aditya Khakhlari, said they will not support any move that can lead to encroachment of ST quota of the existing tribes.

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