AT Photo
Dibrugarh, August 16: The Matak community led protests in Dibrugarh on Friday, seeking Scheduled Tribes status for their tribe.
An indigenous ethnic group of Assam, the Matak community has been seeking the status of Scheduled Tribes in the state.
The All Assam Matak Sammelan, All Assam Students’ Organisation, and All Assam Matak Women’s Organisation, amongst other organisations, staged a three-hour sit-in on Friday in Chowkidingee.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has also reportedly lent its support to the Matak community’s sit-in. Reports had also claimed that members of the community would carry out a blockade of the rail lines and the airport.
The BJP-led government has not kept the promise of conferring the status of Scheduled Tribes to the Matak community; members of the community have mentioned that the promise of being granted the status of Scheduled Tribes was made to them before the elections.
The two MLAs from the Matak community, Ponakan Baruah and Binod Hazarika, have expressed the ire of the community over the issue of tribalisation, stating that it was not taken up for consideration in the Assembly.
A twelve-point memorandum was draughted during the protest and sent to Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, relating to the matter.
Some of the issues taken up in the matter included the tribalisation of the Matak community, the formation of a full-fledged Matak Autonomous Council to ensure full autonomy for the Matak community, resolution to the issue of artificial floods, and steps to prevent the illegal infiltration of Hindu and Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. Additionally, the memorandum demanded that priority be given to eligible members of the Matak community in government organisations and corporations.
Further, the memorandum demanded that the Sarbananda Singha Divas, observed in honour of the Matak king, be declared a state holiday in Assam.
