Sarbananda Sonowal-led team to meet Rajnath Singh today

ST ROW

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Sniffing an impending clash of interests leading to conflicts between the State’s existing STs and ethnic groups seeking ST status, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is likely to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday. He will be accompanied by State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary.

According to sources, Sonowal and his team are going to suggest some measures to prevent the situation from escalating into a major conflict, with Dispur contemplating on forming a Group of Ministers (GoM) to find ways and means to defuse any future crisis.

What the existing STs in the State fear is that according ST status to more ethnic groups will make them part their share of facilities with the communities that will be declared STs. This apart, the existing STs fear that in some areas the political equation due to dominance of STs may get changed with the emergence of more STs in the list.

The All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) has already raised its strong objection against the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019. During the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA)-called Assam bandh on Friday, clashes between the existing STs and ST seekers were reported from some places in the State.

Even as the Union Home Minister informed the Rajya Sabha after introducing the Bill that all measures would be taken to ensure the current facilities of the existing STs in Assam, the Bill contains nothing in relation to safeguarding the interests of the existing STs in the State.

“The government has given the approval to move the Bill in Parliament granting ST status to six communities of Assam, namely Tai Ahoms, Koch Rajbongshis, Chutias, Tea Tribes, Morans and Mataks. The government has waived the requirement of cabinet approval,” Singh said while introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha recently.

On the coinage ‘Tea Tribes’, the Bill means 35 different tea tribes residing in Assam.

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