CCTOA stages 12-hour hunger strike to demand scrapping of ‘ST Bill’

Guwahati, February 12, 2019:

The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organization of Assam (CCTOA) has staged a 12 hours long hunger strike to demand the withdrawal of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill 2019. The hunger strike will last from 7 am-7 pm on 12 February.

The tribal organization has held such protests in many areas of the state of Assam. “We demand that the Government repeal the ST Bill immediately”, said a protestor speaking from the site of protest at UN Brahma Children Park in Kokrajhar.

There have been wide protests in the tribal regions over the granting of ST status to people as it is believed that the process will hamper the rights and privileges of the existing STs in the state.