"Ten Years, No Delivery": Congress Recalls BJP’s 2014 Tribal Status Promise

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP-led state government over the prolonged delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities and what it termed serious administrative and political failures behind the recent unrest in Karbi Anglong, even as the party asserted that alliance talks are moving forward and will be finalised soon.

Debabrata Saikia on Tribal Status and Karbi Anglong

Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia reacted sharply to the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent statements on tribal status and the situation in Karbi Anglong, stating that the issue of granting ST status to six communities was raised during the concluding agenda of the latest Assembly session.

Saikia said the Group of Ministers’ report was submitted on November 29, but opposition members were not given an opportunity to speak thereafter.

“The Group of Ministers’ report was submitted on November 29, but after that, we were not given any opportunity to place our views,” Saikia said.

He criticised the Chief Minister’s claim that no political party or organisation wants tribal status before elections.

“The Chief Minister is now saying that no party or organisation wants tribal status before elections. I want to bring out the history that the BJP is deliberately hiding on the issue of tribal status,” he said.

Accusing the BJP of delaying the process in the name of discussions, Saikia said the prolonged delay has created deep frustration among the six communities.

“Under the pretext of discussion, the BJP is deliberately delaying the issue. Because of this delay, frustration has grown among the six communities,” he said.

Saikia pointed out that no survey has ever been conducted on communities that were granted tribal status in 1950, and alleged that the continued delay amounts to a violation of the Constitution.

“By delaying the tribal status of six communities, the government has violated the Constitution. No state government can take a unilateral decision on tribal status,” he asserted.

Tracing the issue historically, Saikia said the Congress first took steps in 1996, adopted a formal proposal in 2005, and sent a proposal to the Centre seeking inclusion of the Koch Rajbongshi community. He said the issue was raised in Parliament and that an all-party delegation led by the Congress visited the Centre in 2014.

He reminded that the BJP’s 2014 Vision Document promised ST status for six communities within six months.

“A promise was made in the 2014 elections that tribal status would be granted within six months. That promise has still not been fulfilled,” Saikia said.

He alleged that ministerial group reports formed after 2016 completely ignored the recommendations of the Amar Ray Pradhan Committee, and said that although bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2019, they were not pursued beyond electoral interests.

“Bills were introduced in 2019 promising to grant tribal status, but nothing was done. This shows the government’s political strategy and its insensitive attitude towards the six communities,” he said.

Saikia further alleged that in a meeting held on January 28, 2019, representatives of the six communities were advised to accept OBC benefits instead of ST status, and claimed that during the anti-CAA movement, the issue was raised strategically to keep the six communities away from the protests.

On Karbi Anglong, Saikia said the Chief Minister has claimed that eviction from Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) areas could not be carried out due to court orders.

“But contempt of court cases have already been filed against the government in both the High Court and the Supreme Court,” Saikia said, adding that contempt cases were also registered in connection with evictions at Kachutoli.

He alleged that the government has repeatedly violated court orders and that land in Sixth Schedule areas was allotted to corporate entities like Adani and Ambani in contempt of court.

Saikia said the government’s political decisions led to the death of two to three people and alleged that the Karbi Anglong incident occurred due to the negligence of the Chief Minister and the Central government.

Raton Engti on Governance Failure in Karbi Anglong

Separately, Karbi Anglong District Congress Committee president Raton Engti held both the Assam government and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) responsible for the volatile situation in the hill district.

“Because of the mistakes of the state government and the Autonomous Council, Karbi Anglong has become a tinderbox. The Karbi Hills are burning due to the government’s extreme negligence,” Engti said.

Raising serious allegations, Engti expressed suspicion over items allegedly recovered from the residence of KAAC Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang.

“There are allegations that large amounts of cash and firearms were recovered from Tuliram Ronghang’s residence. If that is true, how did all the evidence disappear within 24 hours?” he asked.

Engti said there was widespread public support for eviction in Karbi Anglong, but questioned why eviction drives were not carried out there.

“If eviction has public support in Karbi Anglong, then why has eviction not taken place? In some places, evictions are being carried out despite Supreme Court restrictions. Why is there no eviction in the Karbi Hills?” he asked.

He also questioned why the Autonomous Council failed to submit a mandatory affidavit before the court in 2024.

“Why did the Council fail to submit the affidavit in court in 2024? Even after knowing the situation, the government tried to suppress the incident,” Engti alleged.

Jitendra Singh on Alliance Talks and Ticket Controversy

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Jitendra Singh said alliance talks are ongoing and will be finalised soon.

“An alliance will definitely happen. We are in favour of an alliance. Discussions are continuing, and it will happen very soon,” Singh said.

Reacting to allegations of monetary transactions in Congress ticket distribution, Singh dismissed the claims, saying even the Chief Minister has admitted they are not true.

“The Chief Minister himself has said these allegations are not true. He should focus on his own party instead of commenting on others,” Singh said.

Clarifying remarks made by Mohsin Khan, Singh said they do not reflect the party’s position.

“That statement was not the Congress party’s view. It was his personal comment, and an inquiry against Mohsin Khan has already been initiated,” he said.

Singh made these remarks ahead of a meeting of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) with various party cells.

Emergency Meeting on Karbi Anglong Situation

Following the violent incidents in Kheroni, an emergency meeting is scheduled to be held at Dispur at 5:30 PM in the presence of the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The meeting will be attended by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang, the Revenue Minister, senior officials of the Assam Police, and a 25-member delegation led by Karbi Students’ Union General Secretary Litsong Rongphar.

According to sources, several prominent Karbi community leaders, including the Karbi Raja, will also be present. The meeting is expected to review the prevailing situation and discuss measures to restore peace in Karbi Anglong.

Also Read: Kheroni on the Brink: Police Firing, One Death, Internet Cut — What Has Happened So Far in West Karbi Anglong