AACSU stages protest demanding inclusion of Chutia community in ST list

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: With resumption of stir in support of demand to include the Chutia community in Scheduled Tribe list, the Lakhimpur district unit of All Assam Chutia Students' Union (AACSU) once again took to the streets with a protest programme on Wednesday.

In this context, the organization staged a two-hour long sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office of Lakhimpur. By initiating the same protest programme, the organization further demanded the government to constitute an autonomous council to the community under the recommendations of the Sixth Schedule of the Assam Accord.

Notably, the Union Cabinet on September 14 approved a proposal to add several tribes to the list of notified Scheduled Tribes (ST) from five states, including the Hatti community living in Himachal's Sirmour area, the Narikuravars from Tamil Nadu and the Betta-Kuruba community from Karnataka. The decisions have reportedly been taken on various tribal-related issues in five States that have been lying pending for years. Apart from the three aforementioned States, communities from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh were also included in the list. Moreover, the Cabinet approved the inclusion of the Brijjia community and 11 other tribes from Chhattisgarh in the list, in addition to the Kurivikkaran community in Tamil Nadu. The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of the Gond community with five sub-castes of Uttar Pradesh spread across Kushinagar, Chandauli and Sant Kabir Nagar and Bhadohi district. But the long pending demand, consecutively raised for the same by the six ethnic communities of Assam, viz- Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and Adivasis (tea tribes) allegedly did not come under the consideration of the Union Cabinet. Following the development, these communities have resumed their agitation and expressed vehement resentment against the governments at the Centre and in the State for being deprived.

While staging the protest in Lakhimpur on Wednesday, the AACSU members and the community people, led by Lakhimpur AACSU president Amrit Das and general secretary Bolin Chutia, shouted various slogans against the Union and State governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the issue. Taking part in the programme, AACSU central committee general secretary Raju Chutia made a scathing attack on the Union and State governments.

"Despite the consecutive demands raised by the six communities of Assam to include them in the ST list, the Union and State governments did just politics on the issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised before the parliamentary election in 2014 that ST status would be granted to the six communities. But the issue has not been settled till date though the BJP formed government at the Centre for two terms. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma could not even submit the report to the Union Government in this connection, despite being the member of the ministerial unit constituted for this purpose under his leadership," Raju Chutia said. He demanded the Union and State governments to stop their politics regarding the issue and to initiate steps to grant ST status to the Chutia community at the earliest. "Otherwise, we will intensify our agitation. We have chalked out a strategy to give a befitting reply to the government in the upcoming days," Raju Chutia added.

Also Read:  All Assam Chutia Students' Union plans stir over ST status

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