NEW DELHI, Dec 18 — Amidst strong opposition by tribal MPs of Assam over the move to accord schedule tribe status to Koch-Rajbongshi community, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram clarified that the proposal was pending clearance by the Union Cabinet. The discussion on the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes Order (Second Amendment) Bill 2002 in the Lok Sabha, this afternoon, witnessed heated exchanges between Congress MP Madhab Rajbongshi and CPI(ML) MP Dr Jayanta Rongpi, and SK Bwismutiary, both of whom protested the move to accord ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshi community. The two tribal MPs expressed the apprehension that inclusion of the community, whom they described as advanced and politically influential, would endanger the rights and privileges enjoyed by the tribal people.
Dr Rongpi went on to suggest that a national policy needed to be framed on the issue of according ST/SC status, as some communities which were SC in one State were claiming to be ST in another. In this connections, he referred to Koch-Rajbongshi communities which he claimed were accorded SC status in West Bengal and Meghalaya but were claiming ST status in Assam. The discussion on the Bill that lasted for over two hours and saw 33 members participate in it, was marked by several amendments majority of which were moved by Congress members.
Members belonging to Assam including Paban Singh Ghatowar, Bijoy Krishna Handique and Madhab Rajbongshi besides Raj Kumar Wanche of Arunachal Pradesh among themselves moved amendments for inclusion of Koch-Rajbongshi, Tei-Ahom, Moran, Motok besides the various tea tribes in the ST list. In reply, the minister said that only the case of Koch-Rajbongshi was pending with the ministry. The proposal to accord ST status to the community would have to be cleared by the Union Cabinet.
The ministry received the opinion of the National Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe only eight days back, he said reacting to the charge the Centre had discriminated against the community. The Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002 cleared by the Lok Sabha today proposes to accord ST status to Dimasa, Halong, Singhpho, Khampti and Garo tribes by removing the area restrictions.
Earlier, Paban Singh Ghatowar, participating in the discussion, said that in Assam many communities were agitating for inclusion in the ST/SC list. Several unfortunate incidents including bandhs and demonstrations in which several persons have lost their lives have taken place in the State. Ghatowar then referred to the anomaly in case of the tea tribes which are recognised as ST in West Bengal but not in Assam. In the Bodoland Autonomous Council areas hundreds of Adivasis were killed in communal clashes and it is a major law and order problem for Assam, he said pleading their case. Taking part in the discussion, Dr Rongpi pleaded for according ST status to Karbi communities in the plains. The process of inclusion and exclusion of ST/SC has been arbitrary, discriminatory and not been transparent, he said.