MHA to appoint interlocutor on constitutional status demand of Rabha, Mising, Tiwa

Guwahati, Dec 26: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday assured the appointment of an interlocutor to take forward the long-standing demand of three tribal communities of Assam for constitutional status for their autonomous councils, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.

The assurance came after Shah met delegations of the Rabha, Mising and Tiwa communities in New Delhi in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Cabinet minister Ranoj Pegu.

The move is being seen as a significant step towards addressing the constitutional aspirations of the three indigenous groups.

Welcoming the decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed gratitude to the Union Home Minister, calling the assurance “deeply reassuring and heart-warming.”

In a post on a microblogging platform, Sarma said Shah’s commitment to appoint an interlocutor and initiate an institutional dialogue reflected the Centre’s approach of inclusive governance and engagement with indigenous communities.

“I offer my sincere gratitude to the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji for meeting the delegations of the Rabha, Mising and Tiwa communities, who have long been seeking constitutional status for their respective Autonomous Councils,” Sarma posted.

He added that the proposed dialogue mechanism would help safeguard the constitutional aspirations of Assam’s indigenous people.

In a separate post, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had listened to the concerns raised by community representatives and assured them that their demands would be addressed.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon appoint a senior official to work towards an amicable and lasting solution,” Shah stated.

The demand for constitutional status has been a long-pending issue for the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council, Mising Autonomous Council and Tiwa Autonomous Council, which are currently statutory bodies constituted by the Assam government.

These councils were formed to promote the social, economic, educational, ethnic and cultural development of Scheduled Tribe communities residing in core and satellite areas across multiple districts of the state.

PTI