HAILAKANDI, July 28 � The Young Bru Association has demanded the granting of primitive tribal group status for the Reang people living in Assam. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, it also demanded the full-fledged scheduled tribe status for them.
A team of the association led by its president and general secretary, Vidyaratan Reang and Gora Singh Reang, respectively met the local MP Lalit Mohan Suklavaidya and handed over the memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister.
The memorandum mentioned that the Dimasa, Garo, Hajong, Singpho, Khamte, etc., tribes have got the full-fledged scheduled tribe status and enjoying all the facilities through government notification and demanded similar status for the Reang community living in Assam. The Reang people living in Assam from the last many years have enriched the rich cultural heritage of the State but they are now the worst victims of discrimination and facing economic hardship, the memo lamented. It alleged that the Reang people of Assam are facing stepmotherly treatment from both the State and Central governments and not getting the statutory facilities.
The memo strongly protested against the decision of the State government to show Reangs as a subtribe of Kuki and said that the community has their own cultural identity, traditional system of cultivation and life-style, and there is need to preserve their separate entity.
It also demanded a special survey in the Reang-dominated areas to get the accurate picture of the socioeconomic condition of the tribe. It clearly mentioned that the Reang people outside Assam have already got the status of scheduled tribe and enjoying all the facilities under primitive tribal group.
The association demanded the establishment of a Bru Cultural Resource Centre in the Reang hamlet of Bishurambustee located in Assam-Mizoram bordering southern Hailakandi for the development, research and preservation of rich traditional culture of the community.