CCTOA Demands Modifications in GoM Report Over ST Issues

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The CCTOA (Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam) met GoM (Group of Ministers) chairman Dr Ranoj Pegu today and sought modifications in the report on ST status to six communities. The coordination committee gave the cold shoulder to the inclusion of the six communities in the ST list.

The CCTOA leaders submitted their interim suggestions and objections to Dr Pegu and raised the demand for more talks on the ST issue – one at the Chief Minister level and a tripartite talk involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Assam Chief Minister.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, CCTOA chief coordinator Aditya Khakhlari said, “We stick to our avowed stance that under no circumstances should granting ST status to the six communities hamper the interests of the existing ST communities in the state. Though we have two categories – ST (P) and ST (H) – in the state, at the all-India level, we’re only ST without any categorization. The inclusion of ST (V) will certainly shrink our shares of benefits in the UPSC, central government jobs and other competitive examinations, besides admission to higher educational institutions.

Khakhlari said, “The overlapping of titles of the ethnic communities will create a problem in the identification of ST people. We’ve sought a reliable mechanism for identification and verification of STs having common titles.”

The CCTOA offered some suggestions, like fixing and listing ST (Plains) residing in the Bodoland Territorial Region as per the BTC Accord, 2003, as bona fide tribals under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution – Boro-Kachari, Rabha, Garo and Hajong. The CCTOA urges the government to provide maximum facilities, rights and privileges, and political reservations for six OBC communities without enlisting them in the ST category.

The CCTOA resolved to constitute a consultative group of tribal intellectuals and constitutional experts to give the final shape to the recommendations within one month and submit the final suggestions and recommendations before the Group of Ministers.

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