Preetam BC

Kokrajhar  : A Torch light procession was carried out by the Co-ordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations  of Assam (CCTOA), a conglomeration of various tribal organizations,  this evening demanding immediate withdrawal of the Constitution Scheduled Tribe (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to stop granting Scheduled Tribe status to Advanced and populous 6 communities of Assam.

The rally started from Bodofa Children park near Don Bosco school through to Girls Higher Secondary School, Kokrajhar through Jwhwlao Dwimalu road, RNB road. Hundreds of people from various tribal organizations participated in the torch relay.

ABSU Assistant General Secretary Kwrwmdao Wary, education secretary Kastom Basumatary, leaders from All Assam Tribal Sangha were among those participated.

The organisations expressed unequivocal opposition to the  political move of the government to include 6 to six populous and advanced communities into the Scheduled Tribe (Plains) list of Assam and demanded immediate withdrawal of the Constitution scheduled Tribe (Amendment) bill 2019 to stop granting ST status to Advanced and populous 6 communities of Assam.

A separate torch light rally was also carried out at Ramfalbil area where  BTC member Jyatindra Brahma, ex-president of Kokrajhar district Tribal Sangha Mahesh Basumatary and others participated. The rally started from Ramfalibil to Serfanguri.

The tribal body opined that granting ST status to the advanced and populous communities will fully deprived the existing tribal communities from all educational and employment opportunities and that the original and existing 14 scheduled tribes will not have representation in the panchayati raj institutions, urban bodies, municipalities, state assembly and in Indian Parliament if the six advanced and populous communities are given the ST status.

Ex-president of Kokrajhar district Tribal Sangha Mahesh Basumatary said granting of ST status to the six new communities will deprived the existing 14 indigenous tribal communities from all educational and employment opportunities..’This will facilitate large scale purchase and encroachment into tribal land thereby completely dispossessing the exiting 14 indigenous scheduled tribe communities from their land and territory” he said.

The tribal leader stated that the special rights and privileges including political representation enjoyed by the original and existing 14 scheduled tribes in Sixth schedule councils such as Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council and Autonomous councils such as Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, Sonowal Kachari, Dueri an Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council will be taken away by the new STs thereby making the very concept of formation of these council futile.