Guwahati: With barely six months left for the assembly polls in Assam, six ethnic communities of the state are becoming restive over the centre’s delay in granting ST status to them.
Some leaders of the six communities, currently they are in OBC category, have also started thinking of going all out against the BJP in the run-up to the 2016 state polls.
The six communities – Tai Ahoms, Koch Rajbongshis, Moran, Motok, Sootea and Adivasis (the descendants of tea garden workers settled by British in the state from Chotanagpur plateau in mid 19th century), have for long been demanding ST status.
The ST issue becomes one of the talking points in every election. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls too, the BJP had promised to grant ST status to the communities, The Times of India reported.
“Our prime demand now is that the centre places the bill on ST in the parliament during the winter session. Otherwise we have to go intensify our agitation and go against BJP in the run-up to the assembly polls,” All Assam Motok Students Union (ASMSU) president Arunjyoti Moran said.
Six communities constitute a sizeable chunk of electorates in many of the assembly constituencies.
ASMSU and other organizations representing six communities on December 7 staged demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for early placing of the ST bill in the on-going parliament session.
All Tai Ahom Students Union (ATASU) president Pranjal Rajkonwar said the delay in granting ST status showed that seven BJP MPs from the state had not been able to raise the issue proactively with the centre.
Rajkonwar added that leaders of the six communities will come out with its next course of action on December-end if the ongoing parliament session failed to place the ST bill.
On the other hand, the All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) which has been opposing ST status to six communities, said that the existing tribal’s rights will significantly be curtailed once centre accept the demand.