AASAA stages dharna in Tezpur demanding ST status and wage hike for Adivasis

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TEZPUR: The Sonitpur district committee of the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) staged a two-hour dharna at Court Chariali, Tezpur on Tuesday, pressing the government to address long-standing demands of the Adivasi community.

The demonstrators demanded an increase in daily wages to Rs 551 for tea garden workers and the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Adivasis in Assam. Over a hundred members of the tea tribe community participated in the protest, raising slogans and holding placards and banners highlighting their demands.

During the protest, a memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma through the District Commissioner of Sonitpur, reiterating demands including ST status for Adivasis of Assam, Land rights for Adivasi people, Caste-wise CEC certification and Protection of Adivasi rights under the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.

Speaking to reporters, Amarjit Kerkatta, President of the AASAA Sonitpur unit, emphasized that the demand for ST status is not new. “Communities such as the Oraong, Munda, Santhal, Udia, Kharia, Gond, Sawra, Bhumij, and Proja, who belong to the tea tribe community in Assam, have been deprived of constitutional recognition despite their counterparts in other Indian states already enjoying Scheduled Tribe status,” Kerkatta said.

He added that the time had come for the government to acknowledge the historical and cultural identity of Adivasis in Assam and extend them the benefits and protections available under the Scheduled Tribe category.

The demonstration concluded peacefully, with protesters voicing their hope that the state government would respond positively to their demands.

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