AATS demands proper scrutiny of ST certificates of candidates

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, March 25: The All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS), Kokrajhar district committee on Wednesday demanded that there should be proper scrutiny of the ST certificates submitted by candidates of non-notified scheduled tribe communities during their filing of nomition papers. The Sangha demanded that the nomition papers of non-enlisted communities in ST list should be rejected.

In a press statement issued by the president of the Kokrajhar district AATS, Mahesh Chandra Brahma and secretary, Anil Chandra Wary, it was stated that there were some candidates for the BTC polls who claimed to belong to ST (P) community by furnishing fake ST (P) certificates issued by various units of All Assam Tribal Sangha, which was unconstitutiol.

Brahma and Wary said that there were 14 notified communities categorized in the ST list in the gazette of India vide no SRO-510 dated 6 September, 1950 and subsequent modification wherein the 14 communities  were stated eligible to contest from the reserved constituencies in assembly, parliamentary, BTC and local body elections. The 14 ST communities of Assam are, Bodo Kachari, Rabha, Barman in Cachar, Hojai, Deori, Sonowal Kachari, Lalung, Mech, Miri (Mising), Dimasa, Hajong, Singpho, Khamti and Garo. They also said that the ST list did not include the Koch Rajbongshis, Saranias and Modahis and others.

They demanded that the candidates from Rajbongshi, Modahi and Sarania communities who were submitting nomition papers to contest from reserved ST seats must be rejected.

Even the Jajati Suraksha Manch (JSM) had said that the Gauhati High Court in an interim order in WP2580/2014 case observed that Saranias were not enlisted communities on the constitutiol (Schedule Tribe) order, 1950 amended till date although the All Assam Tribal Sangha issued caste certificates to such persons as Borokachari. The court ordered All Assam Tribal Sangha not to issue tribal certificates to people of non-notified communities. The order implies that any such certificate issued to Saranias or other non-notified communities under the garb of Borokachari or Rabha was void.