Sarania Kachari a separate community, not notified as ST: Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR: Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) president Janaklal Basumatary on Thursday said the ST certificate of Kokrajhar MP Naba Kr. Sarania, issued by the Tribal Sangh, was not valid as Sarania Kachari was a separate community and not notified as Scheduled Tribe. He said that Naba Kr. Sarania belonged to the Sarania community. As Sarania community was not notified as Scheduled Tribe, he had obtained ST certificate as Boro Kachari although he did not have Boro roots. Thus, his ST certificate as Boro Kachari was a deliberate criminal forgery, said Basumatary.

He added, “It is true that some Saranias have come from Boro Kachari historically but Sarania Kachari is a mixed community and distinctly separate community from Boro Kachari or Rabha or any other community.” He said a separate community could not claim ST certificate in the name of any other community, it must be notified as ST. “Sarania Kacharis must be notified if they want ST status but they cannot claim ST status in the name of any other community. I have no problem with Sarania people and I have no objection if they get notified as ST. The concern is if you recognize them as Boro without de-recognizing them as Sarania. Advanced communities will take advantage of this to enjoy the rights of reserved tribal people, just as Naba Sarania has done,” he said.

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