Tribal organisations stage protest on Wednesday in Kokrajhar against ST status to six communities. Image: Northeast Now

Assam is going for yet another shutdown just on the threshold of Magh Bihu.

This time it is a 24-hour Assam bandh called by the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations, Assam from 5 am of Friday.

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Also read: Tribal organisations, ABSU oppose ST status to six communities of Assam

The shutdown is called in protest against The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Amendment Bill, 2019, which has sought to accord Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the six indigenous groups of the State.

In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations, Assam alleged that the move to accord ST status to six ethnic groups – Ahoms, Marans, Muttocks, Chutiyas, Koch-Rajbongshis and Tea Communities, is nothing but ‘a plot’ of the Central and State Governments to ‘eliminate the genuine tribal people’ of the State.

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The committee further rued that the Central as well as State governments did not take the tribal people of the State into confidence while initiating this move.

The Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations, Assam further asserted that the genuine tribal people of Assam will ‘continue their struggle to defeat this move’, alleging that the bill was nothing but a poll gimmick.