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1] From: "River Basin Friends\(NE\)" <riverbasinfriends@yahoo.co.in> Date: Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:00pm Subject: Rajbangshi's (demands ST status)-Towards militancy in its quest for special privileges Koch-Rajbongshis on war path GUWAHATI, March 21: The All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani has warned of a vigorous agitation in the State if the Centre does not meet its demand for the introduction of the Bill to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Koch-Rajbongshi community in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament itself. The office-bearers of the Koch-Rajbongshi body has also flayed the political parties of the State, including the Congress, the BJP and the AGP, for allegedly failing to persuade the Centre to confer ST status on the Koch-Rajbongshis despite their earlier assurances in this respect. Talking to The Sentinel on the sidelines of a dharna, which was staged by about 500 activists of the Sanmilani at Dispur Lastgate today, its president Phani Medhi said that the Government did not seem to be heeding to the demands raised by the Koch-Rajbongshi community in a peaceful and democratic manner. "We think that the Government only understands the language of the gun," Medhi said as he claimed that the Koch-Rajbongshi community fulfils all the criteria to qualify as a scheduled tribe. All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani general secretary Dr Durlav Chamua alleged that the political parties in the State did not redeem their earlier promise of moving the Central Government to grant ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshis. "These parties will pay for their apathy in the next Assembly elections in the State," he threatened. The office-bearers of the Koch-Rajbongshi body also announced an intensive agitation programme to press for the fulfilment of their demand for ST status. A 100-member delegation of the body will stage a demonstration in the national capital on April 2 which will be followed by a 120-hour economic blockade in Boxirhat, Srirampur, Guwahati and other parts of the State on May 2, they said, adding that about 5,000 Koch-Rajbongshi activists from all over the State will lay siege to Boxirhat and Srirampur to block the entry of vehicles into the State. The All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani office-bearers said that the Centre had earlier passed four ordinances granting ST status to the community which resulted in some members of the community obtaining ST certificates. During the tenure of the NDA, a Bill was also placed to grant ST status to the community which was, however, not passed. The then Tribal Affairs Minister Joel Oram had admitted in Parliament that the Koch-Rajbongshi community was left out of a list of 182 tribes who got ST status despite the fact that it fulfilled the criteria for grant of such status. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and Welfare had also approved of the Bill to grant ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshis of Assam, the office-bearers further said. In today??™s dharna, Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani activists decided to continue their stir till the fulfilment of their demand for ST status in a protest meeting held on the occasion. They also shouted slogans against the political parties of the State. Meanwhile, Dr Chamua today left for New Delhi along with All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani working president Anil Talukdar. They are scheduled to meet UPA chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi, Union Tribal Affairs Minister PR Kyndiah and other AICC leaders and submit a memorandum, demanding the placement of the Bill to grant ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshis in the current Budget Session of Parliament. Koch Rajbongshis threaten 120-hr economic blockade GUWAHATI, March 21 ??“ The over-three-million-strong Koch Rajbongshi community in Assam is on the warpath once again with their frontline outfit, the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani (AAKRS), threatening to launch a 120-hour economic blockade in the State in May. The community is demanding that the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status be restored to them immediately. The Sanmilani today organised a massive three-hour demonstration at Dispur Last Gate here with members of the community raising slogans against the Governments, both at the Centre and the State, for failing to accord them ST status as promised during the elections. Hundreds of people joined the demonstration, displaying banners and placards highlighting their demand. Speaking to The Assam Tribune at the spot, AAKRS general secretary Durlav Chamua said that the Sanmilani will launch a 120-hour economic blockade all over the state from May 2 unless their demand is conceded. The blockade, he said, will involve the stopping of movement of commercial vehicles, especially through Srirampur and Baxirhat. These are the two places through which the entire North East is linked by road with West Bengal and beyond. If the threat is actually carried out, the economy of the entire region may suffer a serious jolt. Also to come under the ambit of the agitation are operations in the oil refineries, with the Numaligarh Refinery being especially marked out. Movement of passenger vehicles, however, will not be restricted. Chamua said that the Koch Rajbongshis number between 35 to 40 lakh in the State, though the official figure, based on the 1991 Census, put their population at 28 lakh. The community is a deciding factor in 37 Assembly constituencies in Assam. In 28 of these constituencies, the Koch Rajbongshis enjoy total domination, he said. The AAKRS has warned political parties to refrain from playing politics with the future of the community. According to Chamua, the community was enlisted at ST (Plains) through ordinances in 1996-97 after recommendations by the State Government supported by the Assam Institute of SC and ST and another recommendation by the Registrar General of India. A Bill was also placed in Parliament in 1996 and a Parliamentary Select Committee had also recommended inclusion of the community in the ST(P) list. The Centre, however, has not taken the necessary action. The fourth ordinance in 1997 was allowed to lapse without repromulgation in time, Chamua pointed out. He said that after granting ST status through ordinances four times and after recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and also recommendation by the Standing Committee on Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Thirteenth Lok Sabha) along with other communities in the Second Amendment Bill for ST, 2002, there is no reason why the Centre??™s Department of Tribal Affairs should seek clarifications from the State Government time and again. The AAKRS leader said that the State Government has already made all the clarifications but no positive action has been taken till date. The Assam Assembly has adopted a resolution on August 5, 2004, to enlist the Koch Rajbongshi community in the ST(P) list, he pointed out. Making clear that the patience of the community is running thin, some of the leaders present at the demonstration programme today, said that unless the ST demand is conceded soon, the community will go all out to launch an agitation for a separate Kamatapur State. They alleged that the authorities are pushing the Koch Rajbongshi community to the brink by denying them their rightful status. ---------------------------------------------------------- ravindranath AKAJAN District-Dhemaji.787059. Assam. India. Mobile-09435089275 E mail.assamravi@y... |
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