STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: "During elections, promises are made to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the six communities of Assam (Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran, Tai-Ahom and tea tribes). However, once elections are over, this issue of granting ST status to the six communities is relegated to the background. The Congress did this and the present BJP-led government in the State is also doing the same thing," said All Assam Ahom Association president Chow Umakanta Konwar while addressing a press meet in Guwahati on Tuesday.
"Consecutive governments have betrayed the six communities. The present State Government seems to be a puppet government being controlled from Delhi and hence this government is neglecting the burning issues of the State," said Konwar.
He further said that the Centre has always meted out a step-motherly treatment towards the north-eastern States and this had been proved once again after the Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal to add several tribes from five states to the list of notified Scheduled Tribes but did not include the six communities of Assam. The Cabinet recently approved a proposal to include about 15 tribal communities in the Scheduled Tribes list in five states, namely Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
"Granting ST status to the six communities has been a long-standing demand which has not been fulfilled as yet. The government formed the Group of Ministers (GoM) but it was merely a charade," he said.
The All Assam Ahom Association has threatened to launch a do-or-die stir unless the GoM submits its report to the Centre soon.
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