In an apparent bid to placate the agitating tribal community just before the local bodies polls scheduled to start on December 31, the Assam government has promised special development council for the community.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday informed that the state government had decided to constitute six development councils for all round development of tribals and five other ethnic communities -- Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia and Koch Rajbongshis -- who have been agitating for Scheduled Tribe status.
"The new model is aimed at facilitating rapid all round development of these communities sans they are being recognized as the ST communities by the hovernment of India," he said.
Assam government had earlier recommended grant of ST status to these communities to the central government, but the latter rejected the proposal. The Registrar General of India has opposed to granting ST status to tribals in Assam, notwithstanding a unanimous decision of Assam cabinet in this regard, on the ground that the community had migrated to the state from other states of the country about 150 years back.
"We have already constituted a cabinet sub-committee chaired by state's senior Cabinet Minister Prithbi Majhi to work out modalities for implementation of decision to constitute the development councils. The other members of the committee included ministers Pradyut Bardoloi, Ripun Bora, Himanta Bishwa Sharma, Chandan Brahma, Promila Rani Brahma, Nurzamal Sarkar and D P Goala," the chief minister informed.
The state will publish a white paper next week informing people about the steps it has taken so far to facilitate ST status for these six communities, including the tribals. Gogoi said an all-party team had left for New Delhi to meet the prime minister, Home Minister and the Tribal Affairs Minister to impress upon the latter the need for providing ST status to these six communities.
It may be mentioned that a major ST community in the state, the Bodos, have told the Assam government that it would oppose ST status to the tribals in case it goes against the interests of Bodo community in the state.
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