The All Moran Students' Union (AMSU) on Monday launched an indefinite economic blockade in Assam's Tinsukia to protest the delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the community and also demanded constitutional parity.
The Moran Autonomous Council, which was established in 2020 under the state legislation, currently has significantly limited authority compared to the three other councils in the state that operate under the Sixth Schedule.
"We have demanded ST status since the time Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) was in power in Assam, but they betrayed us. The Congress government also betrayed similarly. But in 2014, we saw a ray of hope from the BJP government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to grant ST status to our community, but again, they betrayed us. It is a long-pending demand, and we had staged many protests earlier to press for the demand, but nothing has happened," Jaikanta Moran, the general secretary of the AMSU, said.
"Moran community, one of the oldest indigenous communities of Assam, has been demanding ST status for a long time. In 2014, PM Narendra Modi, during an election rally, promised to provide ST status to the six ethnic groups of Assam. We fulfil all the criteria of ST, but the government has failed to fulfil our long-standing demand," said a member of AMSU.
He said, "From today, we have launched an economic blockade to press for our long-standing demand. We will continue our agitation till our demand is met."
The Morans, Tai Ahoms, Mottocks, Koch Rajbongshis, Sooteas, and Tea Tribes - remain classified as Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
"We will block oil and coal trucks to pass from the road. Our agitation will intensify till our demand is met. ST status is our birthright, but the central government has not done anything to provide us with the ST status. Why has the BJP government made false promises to our community?" another AMSU member said.
The Moran community, along with five other ethnic groups, has been waiting for the fulfilment of the BJP's promise made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and subsequent elections.
The promise to grant ST status to these communities had garnered significant support for the BJP at the time. However, the delay in implementation has led to growing frustration and discontent among the six communities.
