Even as the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) enter their last leg, the only major obstacle to a resolution is the objections raised by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and the Tribal Affairs Ministry to the demand that six additional communities be granted tribal status.
ULFA has demanded that the Moran, Tai Ahom, Sootea, Koch-Rajbongshis and 36 Tea tribes -- currently listed as other backward classes -- be granted tribal status as part of an initiative to protect the indigenous people of Assam.
The grant of tribal status to these six communities will also, after fresh delimitation, lead to a significant increase in the number of ST seats in the 126-strong Assam State Assembly, making it a tribal-dominated State. The Assembly currently has 16 ST seats.
The Union Home Ministry has raised no objections to the demand. It is in talks with the NCST and the Tribal Affairs Ministry to draft and finalise a bill which may be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session, if the related issues get resolved.
However, government sources say that the NCST has raised concerns that granting tribal status to these communities would eat into the quota for the existing STs. The MHA is therefore exploring alternatives to ensure that the share of the existing STs is not affected.
It is learnt that the Tribal Affairs Ministry has also expressed some reservations on certain issues.
Plea to updatecitizen’s register
Earlier this month, ULFA leaders held a meeting with senior MHA officials and demanded that the ongoing exercise to update the National Register of Citizens-1951 (NRC) be given priority in order to curb illegal influx of Bangladeshi nationals.
The process to update the citizen’s register -- by asking people to prove their citizenship by establishing their domicile in Assam till 1971, -- was launched in the second week of May.
The ULFA leaders also met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
