Grant ST status to eligible Adivasi sub-communities: AASAA

A Correspondent

TANGLA: The All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA) on Monday alleged that Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association (ATTSA), Tezpur Lok Sabha MP, Pallab Lochan Das and Labour Minister Sanjay Kishan had been acting detrimental to the cause of Adivasis and had been hindering the process of granting ST status to the community.

The activists of AASAA Udalguri chapter also burnt the effigies of Tezpur Lok Sabha MP Pallab Lochan Das and Labour Minister Sanjay Kishan to register their protest.

AASAA president Pradeep Nag, while addressing a press meet at Tangla town in Udalguri district on Monday, said that it was quite disheartening to note that a section of State BJP leaders were hands in gloves with Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association (ATTSA) and had posed hindrance to the process of granting ST status to the Adivasi people.

"We seek ST status for Adivasi sub-communities like Munda, Oraon, Kharia, Santhal, Ho and other eligible sub-communities as recognized by government bodies, including the Registrar General of India (RGI), and it is up to them to decide as to what number of sub-communities are eligible for ST status," Nag added.

He further opined that the Adivasi community had always been used as vote bank by every consecutive government, be it Congress in the past or BJP at present. He further stated that the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Adivasis of Assam had been a long-standing demand as the community had been extremely neglected socio-economically and being recognized as a Scheduled Tribe would provide them better education, socio-economic benefits and political representation. He also issued a stiff warning to the government over their demand for Scheduled Tribe status and warned of massive agitation in case the demand was not fulfilled within December.

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