In a significant development Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday night said his government is willing to invite those who are protesting against the report on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities to discuss the GoM report recommending tribal status for six communities.
Since Saturday, protests continued against the report, when recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the demand for ST status by Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes (adivasis) communities were laid in the state assembly.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "In today's state cabinet meeting, we reviewed the Group of Ministers' report on granting ST status to six communities, along with the recent developments surrounding the issue. The cabinet is of the view that this report paves the way for extending ST status to the six communities without affecting the rights or interests of the existing ST groups. The cabinet has decided that Ministers Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta, and Pijush Hazarika will meet the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) and explain the report in detail to avoid any misunderstanding. If required, I am also willing to sit with the CCTOA," the Chief Minister added.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress has hit out at the government.
Assam Congress chief and deputy leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi had claimed that Indian National Congress has supported the claim that 6 indigenous communities of Assam must be declared as ST without affecting the rights and privileges of the existing ST communities.
"To this end we passed an assembly resolution during the last Congress government. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while bringing a report to grant category wise ST status has been unable to show that the rights of the existing ST communities remain intact.
But it seems that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is stoking another conflict between 6 indigenous communities and the scheduled tribes of Assam. This is typical divide and rule politics. The British colonial power practiced this politics and now Himanta Biswa Sarma is doing the same" Gogoi posted on social media X.
