TINSUKIA, April 9 � Demanding scheduled tribe status for them, thousands of people of the Moran community under the banners of its six organisations � All Moran Students� Union, Asom Moran Sabha, Moran Jatiya Mahila Parishad, Moran Kala Sanskriti Bikash Kendra, Moran Jatiya Karmachari Saikshik Bikash Mancha and Moran Sahitya Sabha � staged a cultural protest rally here on Tuesday.
The cultural rally with the protesters in their traditional attires started from Na Pukhuri and proceeded to the Chaliha Nagar field via AT Road, Tinkonia, GNB Road, Debipukhuri Road, etc.
The protesters demanded that Morans, one of the aboriginal ethnic groups of the Northeast should be included in the scheduled tribe list, besides be given the autonomous status as per the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
They also alleged that in spite of being one of oldest communities of the region, the Government of India had not given any importance to the Morans in the post-Independence period for which the community is facing extinction in all aspects.
The protesters alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was playing with the sentiments of the Moran community for their political gains and warned that the community would not tolerate it and would thwart any conspiracy against the community.
