Smaller tribes deprived in KAAC, MAN-Tai speakers move Governor

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 2: The smaller ethnic groups in Karbi Anglong like the Kukis, MAN (Tai-speakers), Rengma gas, Khasi-Prs, Adivasis and the Assamese have been crying foul for being deprived of their constitutiol rights under the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). With their repeated appeals to Dispur falling on latter’s deaf ear, they moved the Raj Bhavan now. They had appealed to former Assam Governor JB Patik also in 2013, but to no avail.

How the type of autonomy being enjoyed by the Karbis in Karbi Anglong deprives the smaller tribes living in the hill district of their constitutiol rights, according to the MAN-(Tai-speaking) Autonomous Regiol and Village Council Demand Committee president Chow Aisa Lajom, is a tale of violation of the very constitution of the KAAC.

The KAAC has 26 member of autonomous council (MAC) constituencies, the breakup being 22 reserved for Karbis, one each for Dimasas, Garos, Tiwas and the Bodos. “However, smaller ethnic groups living in the hill district like Kukis, MAN (Tai-speakers), Rengma gas, Khasi-Prs, Adivasis and the Assamese have no reservation, and as such they have no political representation in the KAAC. They grossly deprive us of our constitutiol rights,” Lajom said, and added: “This is sheer violation of the KAAC constitution that says that an area with 500 voters in the autonomous council can be an MAC constituency. Each of the smaller tribes living in Karbi hills as mentioned above has more than voters. Why are no reserved MAC constituencies in the KAAC for them?”

With this demand they moved the Governor and urged him to ensure the constitutiol rights of the smaller tribes living in Karbi Anglong district. The committee demanded of the Governor for the constitution of MAC Delimitation Committee to delimit the existing ‘defective MAC constituencies’ as recommended by the Pataskar Commission Report, 1965 and Public Petition allegation, KAAC, Diphu against the Hill Area Department, Assam, Principal Secretary and the Head of the District Council Constituency Delimitation Committee for the illegal and unscientific MAC constituencies in the multi tribe and multi community Sixth Scheduled area.    

Lajom demanded of the Governor to ensure the creation of three small, safe and compact MAC constituencies -- Balipathar, Kaliyani and Solonijan -- for the MAN (Tai speaking) people of Bokajan subdivision under Bokajan LAC.