Six Assam communities threaten to launch stir over ST status demand

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the ST status ball was in the court of the Rajya Sabha and the State government could do little about it.

GUWAHATI

Six communities in Assam have threatened to launch a coordinated stir over the “inordinate delay” in granting them Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

These communities are Adivasi (referred to as “tea tribes”), Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran and Tai-Ahom.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the ST status ball was in the court of the Rajya Sabha and the State government could do little about it.

“It is unfortunate that the Narendra Modi government has not granted ST status to the six communities in Assam, while 12 communities were brought into the ST fold in five other States in the country,” the All Assam Chutia Students’ Union said in a statement, outlining a series of demonstrations beginning September 21 to press for its demand.

An umbrella organisation of the Koch-Rajbongshi community has also threatened to launch a stir if the government failed to act on its demand.

Granting ST status to the six communities was one of the promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2016 Assembly election. These communities together comprise more than 30% of Assam’s electorate.