GUWAHATI, May 15 � A delegation of 11 members of the All Adivasi Students� Association of Assam (AASAA) met the Chairman of the National Scheduled Tribe (ST) Commission, Dr Rameshwar Oraon at his office in New Delhi on Tuesday over the issue of including the Adivasis of Assam in the Scheduled Tribe list.
During the hour-long discussion, the Chairman observed that the demand for the ST status by the Adivasis of Assam is genuine and assured that he was striving to push the issue so that the Adivasis can be put in the ST list at the earliest, said AASAA president Raphael Kujur.
The AASAA delegation also met the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shambhu Singh at North Block, New Delhi, on May 11 and discussed the scheduling of Adivasis, Assam-Nagaland border row and rehabilitation of Adivasi militants under ceasefire agreements.
�During the discussion, the Joint Secretary assured that the Adivasis of Assam would be put in the ST list at the earliest, and that the Government of India was making all efforts to resolve the Assam-Nagaland border dispute permanently,� Kujur said.
The AASAA delegation also met the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram at his residence, which was followed by a meeting with Union Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare Sarbananda Sonowal. The delegation asked Sonowal to take up the issue of increase in the minimum wages of tea garden workers to Rs 169.
The AASAA also called for a separate ministry for the tea, coffee and rubber sectors.