AAASA boycotts meet to discuss ST status to tea tribes

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) The All Assam Adivasi Students Association (AAASA) today boycotted the all party meeting called by Tribal Affairs Minister B K Kyndiah here to resolve the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the tea tribes of Assam along with five other tribes in the state.

According to sources, the AAASA, the prime organisation of the Assam tea tribes, boycotted the meeting which was attended by two tribal groups from the state only -- the Tai Ahom and Konch Rajbanchi.

None of the other tribal groups namely the Chutia, Motok and Moran representatives, came to the meeting.

President of Konch Rajbanshi A Talukdar termed the meeting ''irrelevant'' and said it was not going to serve any purpose towards resolving the issue of granting ST status to the tea tribes and other five tribal communities in Assam.

However, Tai Ahom leader Nabo Phukhan said he was hopeful of a positive outcome.

G S Meena attended the meet on behalf of the Assam Government.

Mr Kyndiah said efforts would be made to resolve the matter at the earliest and the Centre was also keen on it.

The meeting was held following the AAASA rally held in Guwahati on November 24 when an adivasi girl was stripped and thrashed in public in broad daylight.

The incident sparked condemnation from all sections of society and snowballed into a major threat for the Congress-ruled Assam State Government as the tribal leaders served an ultimatum for the matter to be resolved by December 15, failing which they would be forced to launch a mass struggle to acheive their desired objective.

In the wake of the incident, Mr Kyndiah had proposed this meeting.

UNI

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