Chutia student body reiterates demand for ST status, autonomous council

CORRESPONDENTS

GOLAGHAT: The members of All Assam Chutia Students' Union (AACSU) Golaghat district committee carried out massive protest near the Deputy Commissioner's office on Wednesday demanding autonomous council and ST status for the Chutia community.

Several activists of the organization shaved off their heads and protested against the BJP government and demanded ST status and autonomous council for the Chutia community. The protesters shouted various slogans against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government as well as Sarbananda Sonowal-led Assam Government.

General secretary of All Assam Chutia Students' Union, Mohen Bora said that if no ST status and autonomous council was given to the Chutia community, the BJP government would be thrown out of power in the 2021 assembly election. Bora criticized the government for betraying the Chutia community in providing autonomous council. By assuring to provide ST status to the six ethnic communities of Assam, the BJP government came to power in Assam. But out of the six communities, the BJP the government provided autonomous council to Moran, Motak and Koch Rajbongshi communities and deprived the Chutia community. The BJP government wants to divide the ethnic communities, he alleged.

The student body threatened the Assam Government to grant the Chutia community ST status and autonomous council under the Sixth Schedule or to face massive protests in the coming days.

LAKHIMPUR: The activists of the Lakhimpur district chapter of All Assam Chutiya Students' Union on Wednesday rocked Lakhimpur while demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Chutiya community. In support of the demand, the organization staged dharna in front of the Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner's office expressing vehement resentment against the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the State, alleging their lackadaisical attitude towards granting ST status to the community. While staging the agitation programme, the activists of the organization demanded both governments to initiate immediate move to fulfil the long-pending demand. By initiating the same stir, the organization demanded the government to form autonomous council for the community.

While leading the programme, Lakhimpur unit president of the organization, Jayanta Hazarika said that the people of the community had been demanding ST status and autonomous council for the community for years. "But no successive government has paid due attention to fulfil our demands and to resolve the long-pending issues. Rather, the political parties have seen keeping the issues alive for the sake of their political gain. Though the BJP, before the parliamentary and assembly elections, promised to grant us ST status and form autonomous council for us, the party has not taken any steps to keep their poll promises till date. We have again demanded the ruling party to resolve the issues immediately. Otherwise, we will adapt an anti-BJP stand in the ensuing assembly election," said Jayanta Hazarika in front of media persons.

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