BJSM hails centre’s inability to include 6 communities in ST list

BJSM hails centre’s inability to include 6 communities in ST list

A CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR, June 15: Bodoland Janajati Suraksa Mancha (BJSM) on Friday welcomed the declaration of its inability by the Centre to notify six communities of Assam as ST and rejection of the decision of All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) to issue ST certificate to non notified Sarania Kachari community if they come with Sarania and Kachari title following recent Assam government order dated June 5 directing all DCs, SDOs to issue ST certificate to non notified community Sarania Kacharis as sub tribe Kachari.

The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Thursday said that the granting of ST status to six communities of Assam was in the process. He also said the issue was not the job of one agency but that four agencies are involved in the process.

The president of the BJSM Janaklal Basumatary who was the former commissioner of Taxes, Government of Rajasthan, said the order of the State government to issue ST certificate to non notified Sarania community was unconstitutional as no State government or Central government can be allowed to issue ST/SC certificate to non notified community without inclusion in the Constitutional (ST) order, 1950 as amended till date under Article 342(1) (2) of the constitution.

Basumatary said in the plains tribal notified list of ST the SL no.1. Barman Kachari of Cachar, Barman is notified, SL no. 2. Boro Kachari, Boro is notified, SL no. 5. Kachari Sonowal, Sonowal is notified, SL no 10. Dimasa Kachari, Dimasa is notified but Sarania Kachari, Sarania is neither notified nor Sarania is notified as sub tribe Kachari. Therefore, the State govt. cannot issue ST certificate to Sarania Kachari as sub tribe Kachari as there is no notification to this effect. He also said that the Gauhati High court in an interim order in case WP(C)2580/2014 barred All Assam Tribal Sangha from the issuing of ST certificate to non notified community specifically like Sarania Kacharis for example. The Assam govt. also endorsed the High Court’s order and instructed all the certificate issuing authorities to follow the court’s order. The president of the Mancha said the All Assam Tribal Sangha also made the same observation. He said Sarania Kachari people never write Kachari title but they write ‘Sarania’ as title which means Sarania Kachari not Kachari.

Meanwhile, strongly reacting the statement of Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram who said at least forty years would be required to grant ST status to six communities of Assam, the AKRSU today burnt his effigy at Salakati in Kokrajhar district. The student body threatened to intensify vigorous movement taking their demand for inclusion of Koch-Rajbongshis in to ST list.

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