Assam: Chutia Jati Sanmilan submits memo seeking ST status in Bokakhat

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: In a continued demand for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe, the Bokakhat District Chutia Jati Sanmilan on Wednesday submitted a 10-point memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, through the Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Officer, Shivani Zernagal. The memorandum appeals to the current government to provide justice by granting tribal status to the Chutia community, acknowledging their long-standing struggle since 1979.

It mentions that the Chutia community meets all five criteria defined by the 1965 Lokur Committee for identifying Scheduled Tribes. The memorandum further emphasizes that the Chutia community possesses a distinct cultural identity and remains socio-economically and educationally backward.

It also notes that if tribal status in Assam is granted based on approval from tribal organizations, then the All Assam Tribal Sangha, under the leadership of the Late Borgoram Deuri in 1982, had already provided a no-objection certificate for the inclusion of Chutias as a Scheduled Tribe.

It also references constitutional provisions that allow both Re-Tribalization (granting tribal status) and De-Tribalization (removing tribal status). It argues that some so-called tribes which had benefited from tribal privileges and reached the heights of success should be de-notified, and the truly backward Chutia community be granted tribal status instead. Furthermore, the memorandum demands autonomous self-governance for the holistic development of the Chutia community.

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