Students body burn effigies in Chirang, protest delay in tribal recognition
The Chautal Students Association staged a protest in Chirang, burning effigies of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and tribal leader Aditya Khaklari
Protestors burning effigy of Himanta Biswa Sarma (AT Image)
Chirang, Oct 17: Members of the Chautal Student Association (CSA) took to the streets in Chirang district on Friday demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) recognition for the Chautal community.
The protesters, led by the association’s central committee, burned effigies of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and tribal leader Aditya Khaklari on National Highway 27 near Sundari.
The demonstrators accused the Chief Minister and Khaklari of “betraying” the Chautal people and obstructing their decades-long demand for tribal recognition.
They asserted that despite repeated assurances, the state government had failed to take any concrete steps toward granting ST status to six communities, including the Chautal.
Durga Soren, Vice President of the central committee of the Chautal Student Association, expressed frustration over the prolonged neglect.
“For the past ten years, Himanta Biswa Sarma has not taken a single step toward granting tribal recognition to our community,” Soren said.
“We demand immediate recognition for all six communities, including the Chauratal. There should be no objections to this legitimate demand, but if the government or any group tries to obstruct it, clashes between Chautal and Bodo community will be inevitable", he added.
Soren further accused Aditya Khaklari of deliberately creating obstacles to the recognition process.
“Aditya Khaklari has worked against the interests of the Chautal people. Because of his actions, the unity of our community is at risk, and more conflict may arise if this injustice continues,” she added.
The student leader warned that the protest marks only the beginning of a larger agitation.
“This is just the start of our movement. If the Assam government continues to ignore our demand for ST status, the Chautal people will intensify the protest across the state,” Soren declared.
The effigy-burning protest briefly disrupted traffic along NH-27 as police were deployed to the site to prevent escalation. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely to avoid further unrest.
The demand for tribal recognition by six ethnic groups, including the Chautal, Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, and tea tribes has remained a long-standing political and social issue in Assam, with multiple governments promising but failing to deliver a permanent resolution.