Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the prolonged logjam over caste certificates for the tea tribe and Adivasi communities has been resolved.
The understanding was arrived at following discussions with the Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA).
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CM Sarma added the government would issue a notification at the earliest.
The end to the imbroglio came after AASAA members staged a protest along NH-37 at Makum in Tinsukia district, asking for caste certificates based on specific Adivasi identities instead of broad categorisation currently in use.
The argument of the protesters hinged on the fact that the government’s policy of issuing OBC certificates under four categories — tea garden labourers, tea garden tribes, ex-tea garden labourers, and ex-tea garden tribes — erodes the cultural and historical uniqueness of more than 100 distinct groups within the tea community.
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AASAA leaders maintained the classification erases the identities of communities like Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Kharia, Bhumij, Teli, Tanti, Kurmi, Karmakar, Mahato, Nagbansi, Kanika, and Rajgarh.
They also alerted that if the BJP government failed to address the issue before the next state elections, there will be repercussions during the polls.
CM Sarma’s announcement is likely to ease tensions tensions, though community leaders could wait for the government’s official notification as to whether their demands for recognition of specific caste identities have truly been met.
The issue is crucial since the Adivasi vote matters in the political realm.