Assam: CCTOA blames government for neglecting tribal belts and blocks

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations, Assam (CCTOA), a member organization of International Land Coalition (ILC) and All-Bodo Ex-Volunteer Force Organization today expressed resentment over the failure of the government to protect the tribal belts and blocks from illegal encroachers and implementation of clauses of Bodo accords in letter and spirit.

In a press meet held at Kokrajhar Press Club today, the president of CCTOA Markus Basumatary said the lands of 47 tribal belts and blocks had been being occupied by the non-tribal outsiders but despite eviction order issued by the Gauhati High Court, the eviction is yet to be carried out in tribal belts and blocks. He said several lakhs of bighas of tribal lands in belts and blocks had been still under the illegal occupation of encroachers but the government of Assam and BTC have miserably failed to free tribal lands.

Basumatary said the tribal organizations had been vehemently opposing the move to accord ST status to six communities, some of whome were brought by the Britishers to Assam as wage labourers and some of them are ruling class of people with heterogeneous identity and character. He also said they had nothing to oppose for granting ST status with separate entity to six communities without affecting the reserved quotas of the existing tribal communities. He also said the existing tribal peoole should not face deprivation of constitutional rights and privileges.

Meanwhile, the president of All-Bodo Ex-Volunteer Force Organization-Bandw Brahma said they had witnessed three Bodo accords in over three decades but each and every clauses of the accords were not implemented in letter and spirit for which the Bodos were compelled to resume democratic mass movement. He said the main issues like- Bodoland separate state, inclusion of Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao Autonomous Councils in ST (Hill) list, creation of separate Bodo Regiment, separate funding pattern and securing all tribal belts and blocks from illegal occupation by non-tribal outsiders. He also said the organization will join the mass movement demanding smooth implementation of clauses of Bodo accords from last part of November.

Also Read: Assam Tribal Tensions: CCTOA Plans Mass Rally Against ST Status