New Delhi: Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday for the delay in including six indigenous communities of Assam in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list despite a poll promise made by the party for the same in 2016.
He put out a tweet referring to the Centre’s responses to his questions on the matter in the Lok Sabha in December 2021 and July 2023, and alleged that “then Minister of State for home affairs Kiren Rijiju had said the (inclusion process) would be complete in three months — 8 years on, the people of Assam are still waiting!”
Speaking to ThePrint Monday, Bordoloi, an MP from Nowgong, said the delay “exposes the insincerity and indifference of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state”.
In a written response to Bordoloi’s question on inclusion of these communities in the ST list, Minister of State for tribal affairs Bishweswar Tudu stated Monday: “The recommendation for inclusion of Matak, Moran, Tai Ahom and Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and Tea-Tribes has been received from the state government of Assam.”
But to Bordoloi’s query on whether any proposal had been received from the committee constituted by the Assam government in January 2019 on the matter, Tudu stated: “The information is being collected.”
On December 13, 2021, the tribal affairs minister had stated in a written response to Bordoloi’s questions on the same issue: “A committee of ministers was constituted by the then state government of Assam on 14.1.2019. No proposal based on the recommendation of the committee has been received.”
Bordoloi told ThePrint: “The two responses just expose the insincerity and indifference of the BJP-led governments at the state and Centre. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 2016 Assam assembly elections, they made tall promises to the six communities, which are an important component of Assamese society. The BJP has taken these simple people for a ride.”
“They make election promises to garner support and then just forget about them,” he added.
Last year, the six communities formed a joint forum called Soy Janagosthi Joutha Mancha to press for the demand of inclusion in the ST list.
Assam tribal welfare minister Ranoj Pegu told ThePrint Monday that the committee constituted by the state government was yet to submit its report.
“There have been several rounds of meetings of the committee. There was also a bilateral discussion between the leaders of the existing tribal communities and the ones that are demanding inclusion in the ST list. In the meeting, it was agreed that the six communities may be granted ST status without affecting the rights and interests of existing tribes,” said Pegu.
When asked if any deadline had been given to the committee to submit its report, Pegu said: “No deadline has been given.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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