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Adivasi Students Protest in Silchar: Demands ST Status, Land Rights, and Fair Wages

A two-hour-long protest movement started today at 11 AM at the pedestal of the Khudriam Bose statue in Dak Bungalow Road Silchar. The protest called by the All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA) saw participation from the students belonging to the tea tribe and other Adivasi communities of Cachar. Among the list of demands for land rights and a fair wage, the demand for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) status became the loudest demand from today’s movement.

On Monday morning, students from the Adivasi communities in Cachar, along with their parents and other community members, organized a protest in Silchar. They loudly demanded their democratic right to be recognized as Scheduled Tribes (ST). Their other demands included securing land rights and receiving benefits under the Basundhara scheme initiated by the Assam Government.

The protesters also called for amendments to include land rights proposals from the 125th Amendment Bill (of 2019) of the Constitution, which would grant the Indigenous people of Assam ST status, voting rights in Autonomous Councils, rights of reserved categories, and the issuance of land pattas (titles) to those residing in forest areas under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Furthermore, they highlighted that although the indigenous people of Assam applied online for land pattas with proper documentation during Mission Basundhara 1.0 and 2.0, they have not yet received them. They urged the authorities to take action to distribute land pattas to these indigenous people.

A spokesperson for AASAA expressed frustration, stating, “We have lived here for generations, yet newcomers from Bangladesh can obtain Aadhaar and Voter ID cards and purchase patta land. Meanwhile, we still don’t have a patta for the land we’ve inhabited for ages. Basundhara 2.0 and other initiatives have come and gone, but we still haven’t received our land pattas. Today, we call on Himanta Biswa Sarma and Narendra Modi to provide us with land pattas and fair wages, just like they do there (Brahmaputra Valley). We participate in the same elections, and we urge the government to hear our demands. A daily wage of 200 rupees is not enough. How are we supposed to pay our college fees with that? We have dreams too, but because of these issues, we are forced to work as tea garden labourers and drop out. We are on the brink of extinction. Please save the Adivasis.”

The spokesperson also warned that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their protests to a much larger scale against the government.

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