Dhemaji, Nov 26: The ethnic Mising organisations of Dhemaji are vehemently opposing the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Tai-Ahom and five other communities.
Thousands of members and supporters of the Mising organisations, including the TMPK (student body), MMK (action committee), and TMMK (women’s body), took out torch processions in different Mising-dominated villages of the district. The protesters shouted slogans opposing grant of ST status to the Tai-Ahom, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi, and tea tribes (Adivasi) communities.
The Mising bodies have urged upon the State government not to take any step for granting ST status to these communities, saying that otherwise the constitutional rights and reservation opportunities of the existing ST communities would be hampered.
According to the protesters, the move to grant ST status to the Tai-Ahom and other five aspiring groups is a political conspiracy to ruin the rights and reservation opportunities of the existing ST communities of the State. The protesters added that they will never tolerate such activities.