NEW DELHI, Nov 25 - The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the Constitution (Schedule Tribe) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 from the business list of winter session of the Parliament, threatening that the option of approaching the Supreme Court is open to them.
Addressing a press conference here CCTOA coordinator Pramod Boro and general secretary Aditya Khaklari said the amendment Bill proposes to accord schedule tribe status to 41 communities, including Matak, Moran, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and Tai-Ahom, besides Bhil and Bhumij among others, as ST of Assam.
�The inclusion of these groups in the list of ST is illogical, illegal and a means to threaten the survival of the original STs of Assam. At no point of time in history, groups such as Matak, Moran, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and Tai-Ahom were considered as �tribes� by any government or anthropological studies,� they said, adding, tea tribes such as Bhils and Bhumijes are not original STs of Assam.
The Government of India and the Government of Assam must not create a theatre where genuine tribal communities are totally decimated by the politically and economically powerful OBC communities by recklessly granting them ST status for narrow political considerations, the two leaders opined.
�We, therefore, request you to withdraw or not to place the Constitution (ST) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with immediate effect. It is our hope that the Government of India will not force the tribals of Assam to approach the Supreme Court in the event of the Bill being enacted by the Parliament,� they threatened.
