By Manoj Kumar Ojha
Tinsukia: Moran and Motok community organisations have called for a 48-hour shutdown across Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts from 5 a.m. on Friday.
The shutdown is in protest against the exclusion of their representatives from the recently expanded Assam Cabinet and the delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the two communities.
The shutdown was announced at a joint press conference in Tinsukia by the All Moran Students’ Union (AMSU) and the All Assam Motok Youth Students’ Association (AAMYSA).
Leaders of the organisations accused the state government of sidelining the Moran and Motok communities despite their contributions to Assam’s socio-political and electoral landscape.
The protest also centres on the exclusion of Sadiya MLA Bolin Chetia from the expanded Council of Ministers.
The organisations said the decision reflects a continued pattern of neglect towards the aspirations and political representation of the Moran and Motok people.
“The sentiments of the Moran and Motok communities have been deeply hurt. Despite decades of contribution to Assam and its politics, our people continue to be denied adequate representation and recognition,” leaders of the organisations said at the press conference.
The groups also reiterated their long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe status, saying successive governments have failed to honour commitments made to the communities.
They said that even after nearly eight decades of independence, the Moran and Motok people remain deprived of constitutional safeguards and opportunities associated with tribal recognition.
In addition to the two-day shutdown, the organisations warned that they would intensify their agitation and disrupt political programmes of the ruling BJP in the region if their demands are not addressed.
The bandh is expected to affect transportation, commercial establishments, educational institutions, and daily public activities across both districts.
Emergency and essential services will be exempted from the shutdown.
The announcement follows the Cabinet expansion, with community organisations stating that representation and tribal status will remain key issues in their agitation.