Boko: Several Rabha organisations including, All Rabha Students Union (ARSU), All Rabha Women Council (ARWC), Sixth Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC), on Monday protested in Assam’s Boko and Dudhnoi, demanding the inclusion of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) in the Sixth Schedule.
Members of the Rabha organisations staged a demonstration in front of circle offices in Boko under Kamrup district and Dudhnai under Goalpara district.
The organisations also demanded the creation of a Rabha Development Council for the Rabhas residing outside the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area.
The general secretary of the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), Pradip Rabha said that the BJP’s political activities in Rabha-inhabited areas would be stopped if the demands of the Rabha people are not fulfilled.
“BJP may face challenges and the party’s political activities in Rabha-dominated areas will be stopped if they do not fulfill our demand before the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Despite such protests, the BJP-led State government is yet to take any action,” said Pradip Rabha.
The Rabha bodies also conducted a joint organisational meeting in Dudhnai and in Boko on March 3 and 4 pertaining to their demands.
Pradip Rabha alleged that former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had earlier promised for inclusion of RHAC in the sixth schedule of the Constitution. “But even after ten years, the BJP-led government is yet to fulfill our demands,” he claimed.
Rabha also added that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also promised that Rabhas living outside the RHAC area will get Rabha Development Council. “The chief minister had promised the creation of RHAC during a public rally in Dudhnoi in 2021,” he said.
Dasarath Rabha, president of Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, said, “We have been demanding inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council in the Sixth Schedule since 2003 for the development of the tribal community.”
“BJP promised us to fulfill our long-pending demand in 2016. So we supported them. But now the state government has deprived us of our rights,” added Dasarath Rabha.
Later, ARSU president Nripen Khanda submitted a memorandum to the Dudhnai Circle Officer and general secretary Pradip Rabha submitted a memorandum to the Boko Circle Officer.
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Pradip Rabha said ARSU will take out mass torchlight rallies along with their regional committees under the RHAC area on 17 March.
He further added, “We will also take out a protest rally from Boko to Dhupdhara and from Dudhnai to Dhupdhara on 29 March. After that, two meetings will be held in Dudhnai and Boko on April 3 and 12 April to press for our demands.”
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