STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Several Koch organizations have strongly opposed to be identified themselves as Koch Rajbongshis but as Koch.
These organizations demanded that the Koch people residing in Assam should be granted ST status according to a gazette notification issued by the Indian government in 1950.
Addressing the media, All Koch Yuva Parishad (AKYP) president Parag Koch said, "We belong to the Koch community not Koch Rajbongshi. We have a separate history and culture. The Koch people residing in Meghalaya were granted ST status in 1987 as per a gazette notification issued by the Indian government in 1950. Similarly, people from the Koch community in Assam should be granted ST status."
The bodies argued that the Indian government issued the gazette notification after deciding to grant ST status to Bodo-Kachari, Koch and Rabhas.
"After the separation of Meghalaya from Assam, the Koch people residing there were granted ST status. However, several governments came to power in Assam over the years, but till date we were not granted ST status. According to this gazette notification, the Koch community should be granted ST status and included into the sixth schedule," the AKYP president added.
He stressed that there is no community as Koch Rajbongshi in both Assam and Indian history.
"The Koch people are not happy due to their association with the Koch Rajbongshi community. Though there is a Koch Rajbongshi development council, we demand a separate one for the Koch community," said Koch.
He pointed out that OBC certificates are issued for the Koch people as a Koch Rajbongshi. He demanded that the OBC certificates should be issued as Koch.
The bodies also demanded appointment of 1,000 teachers to teach Koch language in various State schools.
"The Koch language is a Burmese language from Tibet. The language of the Rajbongshis is an Aryan language. Our language is losing its identity like various others languages in the world. The Koch language is still spoken by people residing in various districts including - Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Nagaon, Udalguri, Sonitpur, and Dhemaji. Thus to preserve our language the teachers should be appointed," the AKYP president demanded.
The Koch bodies that raised the demands are - All Koch YuvaParishad, SadouAsom Koch Sanmilan, SadouAsom Koch MahilaSanmilan, Koch SahityaSabha, SadouAsom Koch ChatraSantha, and NarayaniSena (Koch Sena).