By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 21: The All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) has demanded the intervention of the Central Government to ensure that the State Government sends a correct recommendation regarding scheduling of Adivasis.

A 10-member delegation of the AASAA led by its president Raphael Kujur met the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shambu Singh, in New Delhi recently. The AASAA delegation demanded that Adivasis of Assam should be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by this year. The delegation asked Singh to immediately intervene in this matter as the Assam Government was “not sincere about giving ST status to Adivasis and till date has not send the correct recommendation due to which the scheduling of Adivasis has been delayed”. Raphael Kujur said, “AASAA is still waiting for the government to act in this matter. But our patience is running out and if we go for a massive agitational programme, the government will be respoonsible for it. AASAA also demands that the Central Government should initiate peace talks with ceasefire Adivasi outfits and permanently solve the issue.” Meanwhile, in order to strengthen the organization, AASAA recently for its National Capital Regional Committee in New Delhi, with Deepak Nag as its president and Ismail Kawa as its general secretary.