Manch decries ST status move

TT,  Kokrajhar, Sept. 24: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch has termed the Centre’s move to include six Assam communities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list as “unacceptable” and “illegal”.

At a media release today, Manch president Janaklal Basumatary said there was no provision in the Constitution to change or prepare new modalities to grant ST status to select communities for the “purpose of political gain of parties”.

He said the applicants cannot dictate how modalities are to be prepared. “There is no constitutional provision to prepare modalities for granting ST status in consultation with the applicant,” he said.

“The proposal for ST status to the six communities has been carefully examined by the Registrar-General of India and it was found they were not qualified to get the status according to constitutional criteria,” Basumatary said.

“The characteristics of each community has been examined several times and it has been found that they do not have the required qualification. The modalities cannot be altered. This is a special privilege granted for protection of endangered communities, making exception of the equal opportunity mentioned in Article 15(4) of the Constitution. This is granted after careful consideration by the President and Parliament only,” Basumatary said.