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Assam News: Akhil Gogoi criticized the Central Government in the Assam Assembly for not getting ST status to six communities and raised questions on the delay in the report and the new ST Valley category. Akhil Gogoi also alleged that the report related to the tribe was not presented in the Assembly on time. The report was to come on 25th, but it has not come yet.
Guwahati. The atmosphere remained very heated on the fifth day of the session in the Assam Assembly. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi expressed displeasure over ST status not being given to six communities of Assam till now. He said that Prime Minister Modi had promised in 2016 that six communities of Assam (Chutiya, Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran, Matak, Tai-Ahom and Chai-Jangosthi) would be given Scheduled Tribe status within six months, but 10 years have passed and so far no concrete steps have been taken in this direction.
He told that when there was a big movement in Assam against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, a bill to give ST status to these six communities was also introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Akhil Gogoi says that he himself was present in the Rajya Sabha gallery that day, but till date that bill has not been passed. On this issue, he again protested strongly in the Assembly on Saturday and said that the Central Government should give tribal status to these communities as soon as possible.
Akhil Gogoi also alleged that the report related to the tribe was not presented in the Assembly on time. The report was to come on 25th, but it has not come yet. Then it was said that it will come on 27th, but even on that day the report was not presented. He says that the government has been deliberately postponing this issue. He told that in the report, apart from ST Plains and ST Hills, a new category ST Valley has been created, which does not exist in the Indian Constitution. In such a situation, that report makes no sense. Perhaps this is the reason why the government does not want to discuss this report openly.
He told that a proposal was placed in the House on Friday, but it was not put in the list for discussion. Ultimately it was included in the last business of the day, so that there could be no debate on it. Akhil Gogoi clearly said that not only six communities, but many other groups including Kolita, Nag Jogi, Badakhil, Chadang should also get ST status. He says that if these communities of Assam get recognition as tribes, then the state can be declared a tribal state. After this, Assam can also get the status of special category state under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution or any similar provision.
