GUWAHATI, July 13 ? As many as 11 tribal student organisations of the State today extended support to creation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) while resolving to form a joint forum of all ethnic groups to raise the demand for ?more autonomy? to all tribal groups in the mould of the proposed BTC. A joint meeting of tribal students? organisation held here under the aegis of ABSU-BPAC in a resolution demanded immediate creation of the BTC while expressing concern over the effort made by the Sanmilita Jangosthiya Sangram Samity (SJSS) to throw a spanner in the process of formation of the council under amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
In another resolution the tribal student bodies opposed the ?unilateral? initiative of the Government to list the Koch-Rajbonghis and Adivasis as Scheduled Tribes (STs) and warned that it would create ?bad blood? among tribals and non-tribals in the State. The Government has been requested to discuss the issue of scheduling of these two communities with other tribal groups in the State. The ABSU president Sri Rabiram Narzary who attended the conference, later stated at a press conference that according ST status to the Koch-Rajbonghis and Adivasis with existing 10 per cent quota for all ST communities in the State would tentamount to deprivation of all other tribal groups of their rights over jobs, education opportunities etc as was the case in the aftermath of 1996 Central Ordinance granting ST status to the Koch-Rajbonghis.
Sri Narzary, therefore, demand that the reservation quota of STs should be increased to at least 12 per cent before going for scheduling of these two communities and the additional two per cent should be allowed to these two communities so that they would not eat into the share of other tribal groups in the State. The ABSU president agreed that raking up the issue of scheduling of the Koch-Rajbongshis and Adivasis at this point of time when the process of creation of the BTC was in an ?advanced stage,? was obviously aimed at neutralising the influence of Bodos in the proposed BTC by design of certain political leaders of varied party allegiance.
In another resolution the joint sitting of the tribal student organisations today demanded Constitutionally safeguarded? autonomy to all tribal groups in the State, and observed that the present system of providing autonomy in the name of creating ?unfruitful tribal councils?, had failed to do any good to tribal causes in the State. The tribal student bodies opposed eviction of indigenous tribals from forest areas and demanded immediate steps for rehabilitation and grant of compensation to those already evicted. In the same resolution the joint meeting demanded identification of ?outsiders? living in tribal belts and blocks of the State and issuance of a public statement stating the total area in the grip of ?outsiders? in tribal belts and blocks.
The joint meeting attended by leaders of ABSU, All Tiwa Students? Union, Karbi Students Association, Mising Youth Students Organisation, All Assam Sonowal-Kachari Students Union, All Assam Hajong Students Union, All Deori Students Union, All Assam Sarania-Kachari Students Union, Karbi Students Union, All Rabha Students Union and Bodo People?s Action Committee, decided to form a strong joint forum of tribal groups in the State to raise the common demand for more autonomy to tribals.