Himanta Biswa Sarma to lead Group of Ministers (GoM) to solve ST Bill-triggered row

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has formed a Group of Ministers (GoM) with State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as chairman to bring in amendments to some existing Acts that may clash with the ST status being given to six ethnic groups in the State. The GoM has Chandan Brahma as its convener.

Sonowal, accompanied by State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary, met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Saturday on the follow-up measures to be taken to synchronize a few existing Acts in the State with the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which is on its way to becoming an Act.

Briefing the media after their meeting with Rajnath Singh, Sarma said, “The Union Home Minister has asked us to do what we must do, and leave the matter with the Centre for the rest. We’ve BTC Act, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council Act, Mising Autonomous Council Act etc in Assam. Such Acts are out of sync with the Act going to be enacted to accord ST status to six ethnic groups. What we need to do now is to make all such Acts compatible with the Act being enacted now. To make that happen, we need to bring in amendments to some of the existing Acts. After that, we’ll leave the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs for doing the rest.”

The existing STs in the State fear that according ST status to more ethnic groups will make them part their share of facilities with the communities that will be declared STs. This apart, the existing STs fear that in some areas the political equation due to dominance of STs may get changed with the emergence of more STs in the list.

With organizations like the All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) and the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) opposing the move to grant ST status to the six ethnic groups, what the future might hold on this front is difficult to predict.

The ethnic groups in question that are on way to get ST status are Tai Ahoms, Koch Rajbongshis, Chutias, Morans, Motoks and 35 different tea tribes residing in the State.

Also read: Centre’s Green Signal To ST Bill For Six Communities in Assam