Jharkhand CM demands Assam to grant ST status to marginalised Jharkhandi tea tribes

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday wrote to his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma, claiming that ethnic Jharkhandi tea tribes were marginalised despite their significant contribution to the economy of the northeastern state.

In his letter to Sarma, Soren also expressed deep concern about the plight of 70 lakh tea-tribe community members in Assam.

Sarma, the BJP’s election co-in charge for Jharkhand, has attacked the JMM government for various reasons recently. “I am acutely aware of the significant challenges faced by the tea tribes in Assam, more so because a majority of them are the indigenous tribes of Jharkhand, including Santhali, Kuruk, Munda, Oraon & others, whose ancestors migrated during colonial rule to work in tea plantations.

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“I very strongly feel that they meet the criteria for ST status, including their distinct cultural identity, traditional way of life, and vulnerability to exploitation,” Soren wrote to Sarma.

He said that although most of the ethnic groups of the tea tribes are recognised as STs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, Assam continued to classify them as OBCs.

“Despite their vital contributions to Assam’s economy and culture, they continue to be marginalised and denied the benefits and protections accorded to Scheduled Tribes,” Soren wrote to Sarma demanding immediate ST status to them.