BONGAIGAON, Dec 29 � The Rajbongshis have been deprived from getting ST status as per latest information furnished by RGI to some Koch-Rajbongshi leaders because it was grouped with other five ethnic groups for the demand. At a press meet held on Friday afternoon at the AKRSU head office at Bhakaribhita, Chilarai Sena chairman and AKRSU adviser Biswajit Roy raised this allegation. Due to this negative development Roy held the State Government fully responsible. He alleged that despite receiving reports prepared by the three-men expert committee on the tribal characteristics possessed by Koch-Rajbongshis, the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had failed to place the report before the Union Government.
As a result the RGI refused to grant ST status to the community. Roy reacted. Besides he pointed out that Moran, Motak and Koch-Rajbongshis communities submitted their status reports to the State government. But the other three communities were unable to do so. The Tea community did not submit their name because they were once enlisted as tribe. This laxity has deprived Koch-Rajbongshis from their due right despite their inclusion as a tribe in 1996, Roy added. Behind such exploitation of Koch-Rajbongshis a deep political conspiracy is there, the chairman of the Chilarai Sena said. He also alleged that an MP from upper Assam has been acting against these ethnic communities to deprive them of ST status only for political interest. So the Chilarai Sena has vowed to continue its struggle for the ST demand alone in their next course of agitation, Roy announced.
