Hill ST status riddle grows

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Jan 2019, Darjeeling: An initiative as old as the BJP government at Centre, a minister's purported claim of an overnight redressal and three fact-finding committees later, it has been revealed that the demand to grant Schedule Tribe status to 11 hill communities have not moved beyond the Registrar General India's office.

The affirmation came from the members of the committee formed by the Union tribal ministry to examine the ST demand of the hill communities.

Meera Ranjan Tshering and Gopal Sadhwani held a meeting with Binay Tamang, chairman, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration followed by an interactive session with representatives of the 11 communities at Lal Khoti today.

Even though the committee members refused to speak to the media, The Telegraph was privy to the interaction.

Tshering, who is the chairman of the committee, told the community representatives: "I really don't know why it (process) has not moved forward, but it has not gone ahead from the RGI stage." Tshering was accompanied by Gopal Sadhwani, a committee member and director, ministry of tribal affairs. Tshering is joint secretary in the same ministry. The third member, Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, vice-chancellor, Utkal University is expected to join the team in Darjeeling today.

The committee members said that as per the laid down modalities, the state government has to put forward the demand along with a report of ethnography survey to the Registrar General of India.

"After a positive response from the RGI the matter is then sent to National Commission of Schedule Tribe (NCST) and after being vetted by the law ministry a bill is prepared by the tribal ministry for cabinet approval," said a source.

After the cabinet approves the bill, the amendment bill is tabled in the Parliament for it to be passed.

Tamang later said: "Based on an RTI reply I had earlier said that RGI had twice rejected the proposal send by the Bengal government and this has been vindicated. I have, however, requested the committee members to submit their report within two weeks." During the interactive session, the committee members said that they cannot confirm whether the demand can be fulfilled or not.

The community representatives argued that if some Gorkha communities who live in the same area with same backwardness could be granted ST status why couldn't the status be extended to the rest of the Gorkhas.

Tamangs and Limbus of Gorkha community have been granted ST status. "If the proposal has not moved beyond the RGI's office, we wonder how the minister (Jual Oram) recently said that if the government so desires the bill can be placed overnight," said a community member..