Dibrugarh: Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Protest Delay In Granting ST Status

DIBRUGARH: Hundreds of members of the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad, Assam (TAYPA), gathered outside the district commissioner's office in Dibrugarh to demand the long-awaited granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for their community on monday. The protesters, adorned in traditional Tai attire and holding placards, expressed their discontent with the central government and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda over the prolonged delay.

The Tai Ahom people are one of six Assam-based ethnic groups—Mottocks, Koch Rajbongshis, Sooteas, Morans and Tea Tribes—looking for the fulfillment of a promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Now designated as Other Backward Classes (OBC), these groups have traditionally voted for the BJP, banking on promises of ST status to solve their socio-economic problems.

Deepjyoti Dowerah, who is the secretary of TAYPA's Dibrugarh unit and a protester, said, "We have patiently waited for 10 years for the government to fulfill its promise. We are tired of empty promises and hollow assurances. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not keep his promise."

The protest highlights the increasing discontent among the Tai Ahom people and other Assam ethnic groups over the government's inability to fulfill its promises, as they continue to fight for their rights and acceptance.

Also Read: Assam’s Accelerated Growth Reflected in Budget: MP Dilip Saikia

Also Watch: