Buddhist minorities rue neglect by Dispur

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 7: Dispur sitting on a letter sent to it by the tiol Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) has deprived the MAN (Tai-speaking) minority Bhuddhists of a number of benefits which they are entitled to, said leaders of the Buddhists’ Minority Association (BMA).

Leaders of the Buddhists’ Minority Association said in a statement that on January 1, 2015 the tiol Commission for Scheduled Tribe had sent a letter to the Assam Chief Secretary requesting him to send the state government’s comments and action taken report to the NCST Chairman within 30 days on points and issues raised by the association. “It’s August, but Dispur is yet to respond to the letter to it by the NCST, and this negligence on the part of the Government of Assam has cost us of various benefits that we are entitled to under the Article 275 (1) of the Constitution,” the Association leaders said.

Benefits that minority people are entitled to under Article 275(1) are -- buildings, road connectivity, schools, students’ hostels, indoor stadia, horticulture projects, cattle and buffalo farms, rural stadia, cultural complexes, community halls, youth halls, handloom production centres, irrigation cals, godowns etc.

The MAN (Tai-speaking) minorities living in Karbi hills are very backward as they are not covered under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) development projects.

The Association leaders said: “We did request the KAAC Principal Secretary and the Commissioner-Secretary of the Hill Area Development (HAD) Department of Dispur to visit our locality, but our request fell on their deaf ear. Now we appeal to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to make all arrangements not to deprive us of benefits which we are entitled to under  Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.”