Jorhat, Nov 13: A rally was organised at the ITI Field at Rajabari here on Monday to renew the demand for inclusion of the Chutia community in the ST (Scheduled Tribes) list. The rally, organised by the Jorhat district committee of All Assam Chutia Students' Union and its sister organisations, also reiterated another long-standing demand of the community-setting up of a Chutia autonomous council by the State government.
The event, which was attended by some central committee leaders of the student union, including Mohen Borah, president, Raju Chutia, general secretary, Khirod Saikia, chief advisor, Madhu Madhob, advisor, and Abon Borah, assistant general secretary, lambasted the BJP-led State and Central governments for failing to fulfil their pre-poll promises.
Cautioning both the governments, the leaders said that they will undertake democratic means of agitation if their demands were not fulfilled at the earliest.
Stating that successive governments since a long time back have been giving assurances to grant ST status to the Chutia and five other indigenous groups of the State but have not been able to do so, they said that despite being one of the oldest indigenous tribes of Assam, the Chutiya community has remained neglected and backward in all spheres.
On November 11, streets in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia wore a deserted look on Monday as a 12-hour bandh, called by the Moran and Motok Students’ Union, came into effect at 5 am. Businesses kept their shutters down, and public transport was off the roads, bringing daily life in both districts to a grinding halt.
Hundreds of protesters from various organisations affiliated to the six indigenous communities took to the streets early in the morning, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Demonstrators voiced frustration over what they described as the Central and state governments' “indifferent attitude” toward the demand.
In Dibrugarh, protesters burned tyres in various areas, halting traffic and intensifying the show of discontent. Tensions ran high in areas such as Lahowal and Mohanbari, where some protesters reportedly engaged in heated exchanges with security forces.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Tinsukia, with protesters burning tyres and raising slogans against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Oram. Areas such as the Tinsukia bypass, Panitola, Doomdooma, Kakopathar, and Digboi were particularly affected. According to reports, security forces even resorted to air firing in some areas to disperse the crowd.
Meanwhile, in the month of October, the All Golaghat District Chutia Students Association, in line with the call of the All Assam Chutia Students’ Association (AACSA), staged a massive protest in Golaghat demanding grant of ST status to the Chutia community and preservation of the historical monuments of the Chutia dynasty.
Taking part in the rally, joined by numerous students and the general public, the central president of All Assam Chutia Students' Association, Mahen Bora, said that “the student body will adopt the policy of 'do or die' in the matter of ST status for the community. He also underlined the need for the conservation of the historical monuments of the Chutia dynasty and their beautification by the government. In his address, he said that the ruling BJP got the chance to form the government in the State by making several false assurances. However, the next time no opportunity will be given to such a deceitful party unless the Chutia community gets justice, he added.
By-
Staff Correspondent
