DIPHU, Oct 29 - The Karbi Cultural Society and Karbi Lammet Amei, two apex Karbi civil societies, have formally demanded Scheduled Tribe status for Karbi tribes living in the plains of Assam.
In a joint memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal submitted through the Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong, the two civil bodies stated that the Karbi tribe living in the plains is facing socio-economic discrimination and to addresses their grievances, an Autonomous Council within the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution was necessary.
�The Karbi tribe living within and outside the jurisdiction of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council are one and the same. It is only due to flawed decisions made in the past that only those living within the jurisdiction of the two councils are constitutionally recognised as Scheduled Tribes,� the memorandum said.
�Gross injustice has therefore been done to those living outside the jurisdiction of the two Councils. The mistake committed must be corrected. They must be given the status of Scheduled Tribe immediately,� the memorandum demanded.
The two bodies also demanded creation of Sixth Schedule autonomous councils in other Karbi-dominated areas of Assam and outside the control of the two existing Autonomous Councils, reservation of Dispur Legislative Assembly Constituency for Scheduled Tribes, issue of land registration certificates (pattas) to Karbi land holders, excluding Dimoria region inhabited by Karbi tribes from the State Capital expansion plan, allotment of land to Karbi Bangthe Asem for performing various festivals of the Karbis and sanctioning of funds to develop infrastructure in that allotted land, provision of grant-in-aid for holding Dehal (Rongker) Kachirdom, appointment of at least 100 teachers for teaching Karbi language in government-run schools in Karbi-dominated areas outside the command of the two councils and recognition to Karbi language as an associate official language of Assam.