The left leaning Hill State Demand Committee (HSDC) and frontal organisations marched from Bokajan HS School in Karbi Anglong to the office of SDO (Civil) and submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in protest against granting of ST (H) status to the Bodo community.
The procession was also participated by the left factions of Karbi Students’ Association, Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) and others.
HSDC secretary Laichand Engleng criticised the Government for not filling up the backlog posts for ST(H).
He said, “In Karbi Anglong, the Karbis are still not able to utilise the facilities for ST(H) and the backlog posts for ST(H) are not filled up. If the Bodos are given ST(H) status, then the already deprived hill tribe people will be all the more deprived.”
The president of the left faction of Karbi Students Association (KSA), Simeon Rongphar, expressing similar views said, “We condemn the mobilization of non-tribes in Bokajan demanding Non Tribal Council, land patta, trading license and others by Niranjan Karmakar and Anil Toppo. They have no knowledge of Karbi Anglong. Here, non-Karbis hold more land pattas than the Karbis. There are more trading licenses in the hands of non-tribes than the hill tribes. Their intention is to create communal trouble.”
“These people work under the direction of BJP’s Bokajan MLA Dr. Numol Momin, Executive Member (Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council) Madhurjya Dhekial Phukon and Member of Autonomous Council Mukut Mahanta,” alleged Rongphar.
The protestors shouted slogans like “Dr. Numol Momin Go Back’, ‘Madhurjya Dhekial Phukon Go Back” and ‘BJP Go Back’.
HSDC and frontal organisations’ leaders like Raju Kathar, Ajay Kathar, Roky Tokbi and others took part in the memorandum submission and procession.
Regional party Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) has also attacked the BJP for their steps to grant ST(H) status to the Bodos living in the hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
It also accused BJP’s Bokajan MLA Dr. Momin of encouraging Karmakar and Anil Toppo to allegedly create division in the communal lines in the district and create “communal trouble”.