AASAA stages massive protest to demand ST status for Adivasis

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district unit of the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), staged massive protest in the Lakhimpur district on Wednesday to demand Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, land rights to the Adivasis of Assam.

In this connection, the activists of the organization, in association with native people, demonstrated dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in North Lakhimpur town. The protesters rent the air by shouting various slogans in support of the demands. By resorting to the protest programme, AASAA submitted two memoranda to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur.

Regarding the demand of ST status to the Adivasis, the Lakhimpur AASAA president Abiram Tappa, general secretary David Mali in the memorandum said, “The Adivasis of Assam, comprising of Oraon, Munda, Santhal, Kharia, Bhil, Ho, and 30 more according to the Register General of India Report and Constitution of India, are indigenous community of India and Assam. Likewise, the Adivasis of Assam are supposed to enjoy the tribal status and facilities like our counterparts in other parts of India. But the Government of Assam along with the Government of India have been denying us this constitutional tribal right in spite of our inherited tribal criteria. By denying tribal status and rights we are losing land, socio- political and also cultural rights. By giving us the Tea tribe nomenclature and wrong report about us, the State Government has been denying us the Scheduled Tribe status and its benefits. At present the State Government is preparing a report and recommendation which projects as ST (N/O) by which we will not have the rights and benefits like the existing tribal communities of the country.”

In support of the demand of land right, Lakhimpur AASAA in another memorandum said, “The Adivasis of Assam are indispensable part of the greater Assamese society. Though, our economic contribution to the State’s exchequer is huge and undeniable, sadly the Adivasis are the most backward community in the State and lagging behind in all the developmental parameters. The Chapter 10 of the Assam Land and Revenue Act, 1886 provides land rights to the protected Adivasi classes, like, Munda, Oraon, Kharia, Gond, Saora, Santal, etc., in the tribal belts and blocks. The acquisition of land or selling and buying of land of Adivasi classes in the tribal belts and blocks must be similar to that of tribal communities and with mutual consent acquisition or buying and selling of land may take place among protected classes and tribal communities.”

By staging the same protest programme, Lakhimpur AASAA further demanded to form the Adivasi Welfare & Development Council as soon as possible as per the Adivasi Peace Accord, Para. Article 3.4, with the chief, deputy chief, chairman, vice-chairman and all other council members purely from Adivasi communities and issue their caste certificate in the name of Adivasi and authorize Adivasi Jatiya Mancha to identify and issue the caste certificates. The organization also demanded the Chief Minister to increase the daily wages for the tea garden workers of Assam to Rs 500 from the present minimum wage of only Rs 232. The present daily wage hardly suffices the basic needs of the tea workers according to the organization.

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