AKRSU demands formation of Kamtapur, ST status

A Correspondent

BAKSA: Activists of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AKRSU) on Wednesday held a massive rally at Tamulpur in the district of Baksa in support of the demand for the formation of Kamtapur and for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Koch-Rajbongshi community people of Assam.

Several prominent leaders of the organization demanded the Assam Government to immediately fulfill their dual demands. Slogans were also raised against leaders of the ruling BJP government for its allegedly lackadaisical approach towards resolving the problems of the Koch-Rajbongshi community.

Leaders of the organization who were present in the rally at Tamulpur stressed the need to have their voices of dissent reach the power corridors of Delhi and Dispur. "The Narendra Modi government, when it first came to power, promised to form Kamtapur and also grant ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshi community. A meeting was also held between the Central and State governments to discuss these demands," said a Koch-Rajbongshi leader at the rally. "Although we were assured that another meeting would be held in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections last year, nothing happened. At the same time, we have seen the formation of the Telangana state right in front of our eyes." Six prominent ethnic communities from Assam have long been demanding ST status. The same has been promised to them by the BJP-led government but the granting of ST status to these communities has run into a roadblock as tribal groups are against the move because they fear that this would affect their rights and privileges.

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