HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Nov 10: A massive rally was organised at Sonapur Mini Stadium in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district on Monday to oppose the proposal for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six non-tribal communities of Assam.
The protest, held under the banner of the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), witnessed participation from representatives of 26 tribal organisations belonging to 14 indigenous Scheduled Tribe communities.
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Organisers claimed that over one lakh people from different parts of the state attended the gathering.
The demonstrators raised slogans opposing the proposal and demanded that the government withdraw the move, alleging that inclusion of advanced and populous non-tribal communities in the ST list would undermine the rights and protections enjoyed by existing Scheduled Tribe groups.
Leaders of the participating organisations described the event, termed the “Tribal Mass Rally”, as a show of unity and resistance. They maintained that the proposed inclusion would adversely affect the constitutional, political, and socio-economic safeguards meant for indigenous tribal communities of Assam.
