ST status to 6 ethnic groups: Threat to fight poll if demand not fulfilled

GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asom Koch-Rajbongshi Yuba-Chatra Sanmilani (SAKRYCS) has threatened the State government that if the latter doesn't send its approval to the proposal of listing the six ethnic groups of the State as ST to the Centre during the next Assembly session, the united body of the six groups will go into a huddle for their political venture.

In a statement issued to the media by SAKRYCS president Vaishnab Koch said, "The Lok Sabha did introduce the Bill on ST status to the six ethnic groups of Assam prior to the last Lok Sabha elections, but did nothing towards that end. The government brought the CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) and made it CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). However, it stopped short of according ST status to the six ethnic groups of Assam even as it was very much in the Lok Sabha and State Assembly poll manifestos of the ruling BJP.

"The Central government then formed a modality committee with Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as its chairman for according ST status to the six ethnic groups. The Centre did say that based on the report of the committee it would accord ST status to the six ethnic groups. However, the modality committee hasn't submitted its report to the Centre even today.

"If the State Assembly doesn't approve the proposal for according ST status to the six ethnic groups before the 2021 Assembly election, the united forum of the six ethnic groups will resort to think for a political move. The six ethnic groups comprise around two-third population of the State. We won't even hesitate to field candidates in the coming Assembly election if the government continues to delay according us ST status. The Koch-Rajbongshis are ST in Meghalaya since 1980, but OBC in Assam."

He said that the State Cabinet announced the formation of the Kamatapur Autonomous Council in 2019 during the anti-CAA agitation in the State. "We sought a satellite Kamatapur autonomous council. This is because there are aound 50 lakh Koch-Rajbongshis from Sadia to Dhubri. The autonomous council announced by the government has been confined to Goalpara district alone with a population of around 2-3 lakh only," he said.

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