OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: A joint meeting of 26 Bodo organizations was held under the initiative of the ABSU at Barama in Baksa district on Saturday. The Bodo organizations rejected the recommendation of the State Government to grant ST status to six communities.
Dipen Boro shared his opening remarks on the current situation over the move to granting ST status to six communities. Leaders of All Assam Tribal Sangha, Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Dularai Boro Harimu Afad, Dularai Bathou Gouthum, Brahma Dharma Afad, All Bodo Women’s Welfare Federation, All Bodo Mother’s Association, All Bodo Christian Coordination Committee, United Bodo People’s Organization, and others shared their views over the recommendation and came to a decision to vehemently oppose the move.
ABSU President Dipen Boro while talking to mediapersons said that he had already clarified the stand of the ABSU to Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma during their telephonic conversation saying that under no circumstance will the ABSU accept the recommendation of the GoM to grant ST status to six communities in a new category. He said that they had nothing to say if the government increased the privileges to the six communities under OBC or other categories without affecting the existing tribal communities. He said that there was no guarantee that the existing tribal people’s legitimate rights would remain protected after the grant of ST status to six populous communities under ‘V’ category. He also said that the addition of Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, and Motok would adversely affect the existing tribal people in the Mising Autonomous Council, KAAC, Sonowal Autonomous Council, and Dima Hasao Autonomous Councils while that of Rajbongshis and Adivasis of undivided Goalpara districts would affect the rights of tribal people in BTC.
Referring to the inclusion of advanced communities in the ST list and its adverse effects on tribal quotas, Boro said that the Tai Ahoms had been ruling Assam for years and that they were far advanced in every respect and thus the inclusion of them in ST list would make the existing tribal people lose their quotas in in higher education, competitive examinations, jobs, and other privileges. He said that they would never support the proposal of granting ST status to six communities and would resort to democratic mass movement if the government went ahead with the proposal for their political interest.
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