NEW DELHI, Feb 24 — In a significant development, the Central Government has ruled out the possibility of according Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe status to any more communities of Assam. The pronouncement that was made in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, F S Kulasve assumes significance because the case of Koch-Rajbongshi community is pending before the Central government.
Responding to a question by Dr Arun Kumar Sarmah, the Minister said that according to the modalities approved for deciding claims for inclusions, exclusion and other modifications in the list of Schedule Tribes, none of the communities who have been demanding their inclusion in the list of Schedule Tribes of Assam was considered eligible.
The issue is likely to snowball into a controversy given the massive lobbying by the Koch Rajbongshi community to get itself the ST status. The other tribal groups, it may be mentioned here, have been opposing this on the ground that ST status to the Koch Rajbongshi community would lead to their deprivation.
Though the community received a shot in the arm after the National Commission of ST and SC and the Parliamentary Standing Committee attached to the Ministry passed favourable resolutions, the Central government is reportedly not to keen on according the community ST status as it might disturb the social structure of the State.