ST Students Protest Turns Violent; BTC Assembly Vandalized in Kokrajhar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR:  The situation has turned volatile in Kokrajhar after a Gen Z protest where hundreds of students from Bodoland University (BU) marched to the BTC Secretariat today, vehemently opposing ST status for six additional communities of Assam. The irate tribal students gathered in front of the BTC Secretariat gate and later forcibly entered the Secretariat and ran over to the Assembly and vandalised assets.

Tribal students have been continuing their protests in various colleges since the beginning of the ongoing Assam Assembly’s winter session against the granting of ST status to six communities. The students went berserk after the State Cabinet had approved the report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue of ST status to six ethnic communities. On November 26, tribal students had staged a protest demonstration in front of BU, and in the evening, the ABSU, AATS, ARSU, AGSU, and other tribal organizations taken out a massive protest rally in the district headquarters of BTR districts. Similarly, on November 27, students of CIT staged a protest dharna; on November 28, students of Kokrajhar Science College staged similar protest programmes in front of their college; and on November 29, students of BU, joined by students of various colleges, took out a protest rally from BU to BTC Secretariat. The students went berserk at the BTC Assembly, threw out chairs and other assets of the Assembly, and shouted slogans against the BJP-led State Government and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary over the ST issue. 

BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary’s recent offer to provide a fresh NOC to include six communities in the ST list ignited the situation. 

      The agitating students said that they would never allow the grant of ST status to six communities in the V (Valley) category, as both ‘Valley’ and ‘Plain’ have the same meaning and the existing tribal communities would lose every legitimate right if the advanced and populous communities were included in the ST list. They also warned that the movement had just started and that they would not sit idle against the anti-tribal move of the government. They further urged the Chief Minister to stop playing with the ST issue for political benefits.

        On the other hand, ABSU president Dipen Boro, while talking to the media, said that their stand was clear that they would not accept the ST status for six communities under the V category. He said that there was no meaning to protecting the indigenous people of BTC, KAAC, DHAC, and other councils if the government went ahead with the inclusion. He also said that the Sixth Schedule councils were meant for the protection of constitutional rights and privileges but that this step would destroy the tribal communities. He urged the Government of Assam and the Union Government to look into the matter seriously so that the region does not witness the return of violence.

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