Boko: Rabha organisations, including the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), All Rabha Women Council (ARWC), Six Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC), along with other sister organisations, sat in protest on Friday demanding the inclusion the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) in the Sixth Schedule.
Listing their demands in a memorandum submitted to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the organisations participated in the rally in front of the Revenue Circle Office, Boko in Assam’s Kamrup district.
Secretary of ARSU Pradip Rabha, Kamrup District President of ARSU Ajit Rabha, Secretary of the Kamrup district committee Namal Rabha, and executive members of organisations including Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council’s executive member Aditya Rabha, took part in the day-long protest.
The protest meeting was presided over by Ajit Rabha, President, ARSU, Kamrup district. More than 200 Kamrup district’s regional unit members of the ARSU, ARWC, and SSDC took part in this protest.
The organisations submitted a memorandum to the Assam chief minister through the Boko Revenue Circle Officer Dibash Bordoloi.
In the memorandum, the bodies demanded the inclusion of the RHAC in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, implementation of the recognition of Forest Rights Act (2006), protection of the tribal belt and block and tribal sub-plan, and non-allotment of land to non-tribal people or organisations.
Bichitra Rabha, Vice President, ARWC said that the organisations of Kamrup district were present to demand the rights which have not been granted till date. “Though we have alliances with the BJP-led government, we now feel that our government has been neglecting us, so we got together for the protest to demand our rights,” she said.
Ajit Rabha, President, ARSU Kamrup district said, “Some steps were taken to provide land for the indigenous tribal people on August 17, but the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner was transferred to another district and relieved of these issues.”
He also added that protests and demonstrations will continue till their demands are met by the government. “Since discussions and alliances have not solved any issue, we have started our first demonstration (sit-in protest) for our demands,” he added saying it could take many protests to get their rights.
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