Students' bodies to launch joint agitations for ST status

Guwahati, Dec 2 (UNI) The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), All Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (AATTSA) and All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA) today announced to launch joint agitations to demand ST status for six communities of the state.

The six communities - tea tribes, Ahom, Motoock, Moran, Koch-Rajbonshi and Chutia - had been demanding ST status and the violent outburst during an adivasi rally, mostly comprising tea tribes, on November 24, brought the issue back to focus.

Addressing a joint press conference here, the AASU, AATTSA and AASAA leaders urged all communities to maintain restraint and warned any individual or organisation against trying to politicise the issue and flare up communal tension.

The leaders included AASU president Shankar Prasad Rai and general secretary Tapan Gogoi, AASAA president Justin Lakra and AATTSA president Prahlad Goala and general secretary P Das.

They also announced that joint agitational programmes would be launched in a phased manner to press for the demands of these communities.

The students' bodies will stage a demonstration in Guwahati on December 7 and launch 'peace rally' from different parts of the state on December 11.

The leaders also announced that other agitations would be taken up depending on the response of the state government and urged the latter to take up positive steps to meet the demands of the communities.

UNI