DIBRUGARH, June 27 � The Assam Tea Tribes Students� Association (ATTSA) today staged road blockade of NH 37 near Bokel Tea Estate here in support of their demand for unconditional inclusion of names of the members of Adivasis and other communities within tea estates in the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The ATTSA organised statewide blockade to persuade the government machineries to include en masse the names of their fellow brethren. The blockade near Bokel Tea Estate was organised jointly by Dibrugarh and Lahoal units of the tea tribe students� body. About five hundred people from the nearby tea garden areas took part in the blockade. The blockade caused massive traffic jams for about two sweltering hours.
The ATTSA leaders submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, demanding that he ensure entry of all names of Adivasis and other communities of tea estates in the NRC. The students� body of the tea tribes also warned both the State and the Central Government against playing politics over the NRC. �All those seeking to check our credentials for citizenship must browse through the genesis of tea industry in Assam,� Lakhinder Kurmi, publicity secretary, ATTSA, district committee said. The memorandum was received by Biswajit Phukan, district election officer.
Jorhat: In a protest against the State Government�s alleged negligence to fulfill the demand of introducing alternative provisions of primary and supporting documents to include the names of about 80 lakh tea garden workers in the National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) in the State, the All Assam Tea Tribes� Students� Association (AATSA) today blocked National Highway 37 at Mohbondha, Teok and the historic Dhodor Ali at Letekujan in Jorhat district for two hours.
In another development, AATSA has been conducting a sample survey since yesterday at Sotai Tea Estate (Mariyani) and Narayanpur Panbari Tea Estate of Jorhat district to find out how much of the two gardens� population can furnish the required legacy data and the supporting materials for the NRC.
According to the protesters about 95 per cent of the tea garden workers of the State will not be able to submit their legacy code and other supporting documents for the ongoing submission of forms for the NRC as most of them have no legacy data, land holding certificate, birth certificate and other documents which are required for the process.
�Till today government did not appeal the Supreme Court to introduce some changes in the required documents especially for the tea garden population. We will intensify our protest against the government negligence in future,� said Prahlad Gowalla, president of AATSA.
He said that his organisation will launch series of protests in Dispur and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 1 and 6 if their demands are not fulfilled.
Criticising the �silence of the tea garden leaders of both the Congress and BJP during the crisis of tea garden people�, Gowalla said that the leaders have the utmost duty of solving the current problems of their people in the State.
Meanwhile, the students� organisation has sent an application to the Apex Court on the matter. �We have already sent an application to the Supreme Court. The ongoing sample survey in Sotai Tea Estate and Narayanpur Panbari Tea Estate will make the truth apparent. The findings will be submitted before the Supreme Court in future,� said Dhiraj Gowalla, assistant general secretary of AATSA.
Tinsukia: Demanding registration of all the members of the tea tribes of the State in the NRC, the regional committee of All Tea Tribe Students� Association blocked the roads in three places in Tinsukia town.
People from the nearby tea gardens under the banner of the students� body blocked Tinsukia Guijan Road at Nokhroy, NH 37 at Panitola and Tinsukia Duliajan Road at Bahadur Chariali today.
