Kokrajhar, Nov 27 (PTI) The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) along with several allied tribal organisations on Thursday took out a torchlight rally in Kokrajhar town protesting the Assam cabinet’s decision to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in the state.
The protesters, mostly students and youth, took to the streets of the town carrying placards and banners condemning the government’s move.
They raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the decision, alleging that it undermines the interests of indigenous tribal communities.
Other organisations that joined the protest include the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), Tribal Sangha, Boro Samaj, Rabha and Garo students body.
An ABSU spokesperson said the decision would jeopardise the socio-political identity and rights of the existing ST communities.
ABSU and the allied groups will continue their agitation until the state government revises its stance on the matter, he said.
The protest reflects deep concerns among tribal groups over policy decisions affecting their status and rights in the state, the spokesperson added.
There was, however, no report of any untoward incident during the rally, a police official said.
In the morning, tribal students at Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, staged a protest on the campus opposing the Cabinet’s decision to grant ST status to the six communities.
The agitation escalated after students boycotted their third semester final examination scheduled on Thursday and assembled at the university’s main gate to voice their concerns.
The protesters argued that extending ST status to additional communities would dilute the rights and constitutional safeguards of existing tribal groups, affecting opportunities in education and employment.
The university authorities postponed the third semester examination after the unrest.
The state cabinet on Wednesday had approved the report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) regarding the proposal for ST status to six major communities of Assam- Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes (Adivasis) Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the report of the GoM will be submitted by the state’s Tribal Affairs department to the legislative assembly and ”we will request the Speaker to table it in the House before the ongoing winter session ends on Saturday”. PTI DG DG MNB
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