Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans to send two delegations to Jharkhand to study unspecified matters, days after his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren decided to dispatch an all-party team to assess the plight of Assam’s tea tribes.
Speaking after a BJP meeting in Guwahati on Saturday night, Sarma said, “In our Cabinet on December 5, we will make some decisions regarding visiting some Jharkhand areas. We will also go and see two-three things there.” However, he did not elaborate on the areas of concern for Assam.
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The move comes shortly after Soren, who was sworn in as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister on November 28, announced a Cabinet decision to form a panel to study the socio-economic conditions of tea tribes in Assam.
Soren has been vocal about the marginalisation of tea tribes from Jharkhand residing in Assam and has pushed for their recognition as Scheduled Tribes (ST).
During the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, Sarma, who played a key role in the BJP’s campaign, repeatedly highlighted issues related to Jharkhand’s tribal communities and alleged infiltration from Bangladesh.
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Soren’s decision to focus on Assam’s tea tribes is seen as a strategic move to challenge the BJP on its turf. On September 25, he had written to Sarma, expressing concern over the marginalisation of tea tribes in Assam despite their significant contributions to the economy.
Currently, tea tribes in Assam are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), but several groups, including the Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea-Tribes, have long been demanding ST status.
Following his electoral victory, Soren reiterated his appeal for the original inhabitants of Jharkhand living in Assam to return. The JMM-led alliance, which won 56 of 81 Assembly seats, defeated the BJP-led NDA, which secured 24 seats.
Sarma, responding to Jharkhand’s decision to send a team to Assam, remarked, “We will be happy if somebody looks after us because we have so much work to do. They are sending one team here, but we will send two delegations to Jharkhand to see two special things.”