ITSSA discusses objections to draft delimitation proposal with CEO of Assam

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A delegation of the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha of Assam (ITSSA) met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam, Anurag Goel on Monday. The delegation put forward their suggestions and discussed their objections to the draft delimitation of parliamentary and legislative assembly constituencies in Assam. They also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India through email wherein their listed their various demands.

In the proposed delimitation, 2023 it is stated that the number of State Assembly seats has been raised from 12 to 15 in the Sixth Schedule Area i.e. the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) but out of 15 Assembly constituencies, the Election Commission in the proposed delimitation included only six Assembly Constituencies as reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) in BTR. The ITSSA has demanded that BTR having been included in the Sixth Schedule, it has become imperative and constitutionally permissible to increase the number of ST reserved seats in the State Legislative Assembly from six to 10.

While welcoming the draft delimitation proposal for three Assembly seats for Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) and four seats for Mising Autonomous Council area, ITSSA expressed its unhappiness over the exclusion of the Rani tribal belts and blocks area, predominantly inhabited by Rabha, Bodo, Garo and other indigenous tribes from the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area, and merging with No. 37-Jalukbari LAC under Kamrup (metro) district and scrapping of the ST reservation of 80-Sissibargaon LAC proposed as per Draft Delimitation, 2007.

The ITSSA said that there is wide and strong repercussion against merging Chandrapur Development Block and Dimoria Development Block, predominately inhabited by Karbi, Bodo, Tiwa (Lalung) and Garo indigenous tribes, with the proposed 34-Dimoria (SC) reserved LAC in the recently extended Kamrup (metro) district area by ignoring the majority indigenous tribes. This will deprive the rightful representation of these tribes to the State Assembly, said ITSSA. In fact, the proposed 34-Dimoria (SC) LAC is unjustified and should be declared as open, ITSSA demanded.

The Udalguri Parliamentary Constituency should be recreated, as proposed earlier in the Draft Delimitation of 2007, with the seven LACs falling under BTR, namely Baksa (ST), Tamulpur (ST), Goreswar, Tangla, Bhergaon, Udalguri (ST) and Majbat LAC, out of which six have been proposed to be merged with No. 4-Darrang Parliamentary Constituency and one LAC with the No. 1-Kokrajhar (ST) Parliamentary Constituency.

The other demands of ITSSA include reserving the proposed 54-Morigaon LAC under the Tiwa Autonomous Council as ST LAC seat; and including the Gaon Panchayat areas falling under Rani tribal belts and blocks, proposed to be included in the 37-Jalukbari LAC, in the proposed 29-Palashbari LAC falling under Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council.

The proposed 98-Majuli (ST) LAC which has been a segment of 14-Lakhimpur Lok Sabha Parliamentary seat, has been proposed to be excluded from 14-Lakhimpur Lok Sabha Constituency and to be merged with the 12-Jorhat Parliamentary Constituency. This LAC should be retained with the 14-Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat as existed earlier. Also, the Uttar Khaboli GP, Pub Telahi GP of Telahi Block and Ghunasuti GP of Lakhimpur Block, which are contiguous parts of 111-Lakhimpur LAC, have been proposed to be excluded from the proposed 76-Lakhimpur LAC and merged with the proposed 75-Nowboicha (SC) under Lakhimpur district. They should be retained with the proposed 76-Lakhimpur LAC as existed earlier, demanded the ITSSA.

CEO Anurag Goel assured the delegation that their suggestions and demands would be forwarded to the CEC for necessary action.

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