Adivasi Students’ Body Demands ST Status from Assam CM

Adivasi

Guwahati, July 12, 2019:

The All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA), Tinsukia District Committee on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the Tinsukia District Deputy Commissioner demanding ST status.

They also demanded that they should be referred to as 'Adivasis' in the school books, and also demanded a hike in their daily wages.

Sanjay Karmakar and Ramanus Lakra both President and General Secretary AASAA, Tinsukia District Committee said, “After 72 years of the country’s Independence Adivasi people of Assam are still lagging behind in every sphere which both the Government at the Centre and State is behaving us as a step mother son.”

Ramanus Lakra said, “The total population of Adivasi community people of Assam is 80 Lakhs which is one-fourth of the population of Assam, where Adivasi people have tremendously contributed Socially, Politically and Economically to Assam, but then also Adivasi community people of Assam have been deprived of their basic rights. We are cheated, exploited and deprived in the name of so-called development, as during the previous Congress Government and now present BJP Government both the political parties have remembered us during election time only.”

He further added, “We demand to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for inclusion of Adivasi people of Assam in ST status, not to brand us as Tea Tribe as we are Adivasi community people, to erase the mistake where it has been written as Tea Tribe in the textbook of Class 9 and 10 which should be Adivasi people and to increase Rs 351 daily wages of Tea Garden workers of Assam immediately.

The committee also threatened that if their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest, an intensified agitation programme will be launched and the Assam Government shall be responsible for it.