Assam: 48-hour Assam bandh from Monday

22 July 2018:

Six organisations have jointly called for a 48-hour “Assam bandh” on July 23 and 24 in protest against the Centre’s failure to fulfil its pre-poll commitment of providing scheduled tribe (ST) status to six communities of Assam.

The six communities are Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Sutia and Adivasi or tea tribe. They believe that if they are accorded ST status, they can benefit from the advantages of reservation in education and government employment.

The All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union (AATASU) is one of the organisations which called the bandh. Speaking to InsideNe, AATASU vice president Basanta Gogoi said: “The Centre had convened a meeting with the six communities demanding ST status on July 20 in New Delhi. The meeting was supposed to be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. However, he did not turn up and instead, he sent his deputy Kiren Rijiju. Surprisingly, Rijiju took no interest in the issue and underestimated the leaders of the organisations”.

Gogoi said the Centre had failed to fulfil the demand despite a commitment ahead of Assembly election in the state by the Narendra Modi government.

“The BJP has been in power at the centre for four years. It has been in power in Assam for the past two years. However, till date the issue has remained unresolved. The six communities have been used as vote-banks. Now that they have been betrayed, they will not vote for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election,” Gogoi said.

He appealed to people to cooperate with them during the bandh.