NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Feb 18 - �The Kalita Janagosthi Sanmilan, Asom has opposed the proposed ST status to six ethnic groups, namely, Ahom, Muttock, Moran, Chutia, Koch-Rajbonghsi and Tea garden communities through a Bill by the Union government.�
This was stated by the organisation�s Lakhimpur district unit in a public meeting held at Narayanpur in Lakhimpur on Sunday.
Chaired by the president of Kalita Janagosthi Sanmilan, Asom�s Lakhimpur unit Chandra Nath Saikia, the meeting expressed deep resentment over the alleged systematic negligence shown by the Central and State governments towards the Kalita community over issues related to socio-economic and political concerns, land rights etc.
Speakers at the meeting opined that despite being the biggest community in the state, the Kalitas had never been consulted while creating separate states, autonomous councils and on granting ST status to some ethnic groups.
The meeting also called for unified action against the move by the Centre and State governments to jeopardise the identity of the sons of the soil like the Kalitas by robbing them off their land, social and political rights and depriving them of jobs as well as professional and higher education. The retired Principal of Narayanpur HS School Girish Bhuyan, secretary of Narayanpur Senior Citizens� Forum Biren Sarma and Kamalananda Dutta also spoke in the meeting.