Chutias to move Governor over callous indifference of KAAC

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 30: The OBC communities living in Karbi Anglong district, led by the Chutia OBC Community Rights Protection Committee, are set to move the Governor for, what they said, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council’s (KAAC) callous indifference to their suffering. They are now determined to raise the demand for delimitation of a member of autonomous council (MAC) of the KAAC by bifurcating the present Deopani and Bokajan MAC constituencies so as to ensure political representation of the Chutia community in the hill district.

Sources in the Chutia OBC Community Rights Protection Committee said that the Chutia and other OBC communities living in Karbi Anglong district are as old the Karbis are in the hill district, but when it comes to their development, the KAAC opts to turn back on them. Despite repeated persuasion, the rights protection committee said, the KAAC continues to ignore their plea. “Now we have no way out but to move the Governor with the demand of delimitation of an MAC constituency by bifurcating the present Deopani and Bokajan MAC constituencies so as to ensure political representation of the Chutia community in the hill district,” the sources said.

The sources said that they have prepared a 32-point charter of demands to submit it to the Governor. Some of the demands, according to the sources, are (1) creation of a new MAC constituency in the me and style of Japarajan MAC constituency by appointing a fresh delimitation commission and bifurcating the present Deopani and Bokajan MAC constituencies so as to ensure political representation of the Chutia community in the hill district, (2) constitution of a Chutia cultural complex at Japarijan under the untide fund and the Assam Accord Fund, (3) construction of an RCC bridge under the RIDF/NEC/Mukhya Mantir Poki Dolong Scheme, (4) construction of an Indian Reserve Battalion at Japarijan, (5) a 30-bed hospital at Japarijan, (6) a rural library each and Japarijan and Dilowjan, (7) construction of tourist lodge each at Japarijan and Dilowjan, (8) construction of a rural stadium each at Japarijan and Dilowjan, (9) conservation of Japarijan and Langboi beels as eco-zones and heritage sites, (10) employment opportunities for the unemployed in the Chutia community, etc.

The Chutia OBC Community Rights Protection Committee is set to draw the attention of the Governor that a large part of Chutia-domited area in erstwhile Golaghat subdivision, comprising Sarupathar and Borpathar mauzas, was clubbed with Mikir Hill, now known as Karbi Anglong district, for revenue collection purpose only. “However, the declaration of Mikir Hill a Sixth Scheduled area latter made the Chutias living in the district face numerous problems,” sources in the protection committee said.