The Adivasi National Convention Committee (ANCC) leaders have threatened to demand for a separate Adivasi State in Assam if the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status is not provided to the community.
The ANCC orgnised a mass gathering at Amguri in Kokrajhar district demanding inclusion of Adivasi community of the State in the ST list and expediting peace talks with the rebel groups of the community.
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General Secretary of the Adivasi National Convention Committee, Birsing Munda, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Birsa Commando Force (BCF) that has been under ceasefire agreement with the government, said the community has been demanding ST status to the Adivasis of Assam and to carry forward the peace talks with the rebel groups of the community.
He slammed both the Central and State governments for “giving false promises to the community before the elections”.
Stating that the Adivasi community has been demanding ST status for the last 50 years, Munda demanded for holding tripartite talks on the issue so that the issue could be resolved at the earliest.
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He also said if the Adivasi community is not given ST status by 2019, then they would start a movement demanding a separate Adivasi State.
Boyal Hembram, President of the ANCC, also said the demand for inclusion of the Oraons, Mundas, Santhals, Kharias, Gonds, Sawras and other communities into the list of ST is not a new issue rather “it is a matter of recognition of these tribes as ST because their blood brethren living in other States under the Indian Union are recognised as Scheduled Tribe”.
He also said that five militant organisations of the community are in ceasefire but the government has not initiated any process to hold tripartite talks with them.
The ANCC leaders also threatened to intensify their agitation including imposing indefinite rail blockades if the Centre fails to take up their demands during the monsoon session of the Parliament.