GUWAHATI, April 19 � The Kalita Janagosthi Sanmilan, Asom on Saturday demanded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Kalitas and autonomy to them under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Moreover, the separate autonomous council being carved out for them, should be named Pragjyotishpur. The process for formation of this council should be initiated expeditiously for protecting the social, cultural, political, economic, academic and land rights of the Kalitas, it said in a statement here.
Further, it said seats should be reserved for the Kalitas in the proposed upper house of the State Assembly in a manner proportionate to the size of their population.
It also called for steps to ensure cent per cent representation of the only autochthonous people of the State in the Parliament of the country and the State Assembly, constitution of a Kalita Janagosthi Development Council and construction of Bhagadatta Bhawan in all districts of the State for the Kalitas.
It further demanded steps for naming the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra after Maniram Dewan and the under-construction bridge over the mighty river, between Jalukbari and Amingaon, after Raja Bhagadatta, establishing a chair after Dr Banikanta Kakati in Gauhati University and inclusion of a member from among the Kalitas in the BTC executive council.
The Sanmilan criticised the organisations like the All Assam Students� Union, for their failure to highlight the issues concerning the Kalitas of the State and warned �any step� to ameliorate the condition of the Kalitas, in case the Government and others concerned do not come forward to solve these issues.
