Assam Accord: Panel Sought To Investigate Encroachments On Tribal Lands

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Expressing concern at encroachments in the tribal belts and blocks, tribal organizations of the State have demanded constitution of a high-level committee to probe this rising trend and implement Clause 10 of the historic Assam Accord. Pointing out though the matter of eviction of encroachers from tribal belts and block is incorporated in Clause 10 of the historic Assam Accord, they stated “unfortunately this clause is left unattended and isolated by the successive Governments even the signatories of the Accord”. They demanded that 80 per cent of the panel including its chairman should be tribal members. The organizations also demanded to make the term ‘Assamese people’ more inclusive by mentioning it as ‘Assamese and Indigenous Tribal people of Assam”, to protect and preserve the identity and language-culture of the aboriginal tribes of the State. The organizations further demanded that the Autonomous Councils of the Misings, Tiwas, Rabhas, Sonowal Kacharis, Thengal Kacharis and the Deoris be included into Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India to ensure constitutional safeguard of the Indigenous tribals of Assam.

These and a number of other major resolutions were passed at a joint meeting of the ‘Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha, Assam’ and the ‘Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam’ (CCTOA) at the Tribal Rest House, here on Thursday. Held under the presidentship of Aditya Khakhlari, Chief Coordinator, CCTOA, the meeting discussed the terms of reference of the High Level Committee to Implement the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

A delegation of these organizations will meet Union Home Minister, the Chairman and the Member Secretary of the high level committee and submit a joint memorandum to present the viewpoints of the tribal people of Assam on implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

Referring to the Population Census-2011, the organization said that the Scheduled Tribe (Plains) population of Assam has increased to 12.5%. The meeting resolved to demand enhancement of reserved quota for ST(P) from 10% to15 % in admission to educational institutions and all public, private and government services.

The meeting also demanded that all the Assembly segments under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and other non-Sixth Schedule Autonomous Councils, should be reserved for STs just as the Assembly and Parliament segments are exclusively reserved for STs in Karbi Anglong and the Dima Hasao Autonomous Councils.

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