STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Coordination Committee of Kalita, Nath-Jogi and Goria-Moria-Desi of undivided Goalpara district has made it clear that it will extend conditional support to the proposed Kamatapur Autonomous Council. On this issue, the committee has already submitted a charter of demands to Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes Minister Chandan Brahma.
The memorandum said, "The State Government has made the announcement of forming the Kamatapur Autonomous Council for the Koch-Rajbongshis in undivided Goalpara district. However, for ages Kalitas, Nath-Jogis and Goria-Moria-Deshis have been residing in undivided Goalpara district. Their population is more than that of Koch-Rajbongshis. Our point is that while giving autonomy to the Rajbonghsis, it has to be ensured that the fundamental rights and existence of these three communities have to be kept intact. This is why we're going to extend conditional support to the proposed autonomous council."
The conditions, according to Coordination Committee, are – (i) 50 per cent reservation should be maintained for these three communities in the proposed autonomous council, (ii) there should be an exclusive department for the development and conservation of language and culture of the indigenous people of undivided Goalpara district, (iii) separate development councils for each of the three communities, (iv) census of these three communities separately, (v) land, economic and social rights of these three communities have to be kept intact in the proposed autonomous council, besides no restriction for land registration and selling and buying of land for these three communities, (vi) separate quota and scholarship for the students all these three communities in the proposed autonomous Council and (vii) making BGR lands, lands meant for religious bodies, agriculture land, government lands, wetlands, reserve forest etc free from encroachers.
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