Assam: Rabha bodies organise huge protests, slam BJP for fake promises

Boko: More than 10,000 people participated in a gathering in Boko to demand the inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

“If the BJP-led government does not respond to our demands, we are ready to take revenge politically and through intense agitation,” said Pradip Rabha, General Secretary of the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU).

Supporters of the All Rabha Students Union (ARSU) along with symbolic weapons took part in the mass gathering to protest for the inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council in the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution at Boko in Assam’s Kamrup District, 07 April, 2023. Photo: Kulendu Kalita.

Presiding over the meeting, Pradip Rabha said, “The Rabha accord was signed in 1995 and it has completed almost 27 years, yet, many governments did not allow the inclusion of the RHAC in the Sixth Schedule.”

The meeting was organised by the ARSU, Sixth Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC) and All Rabha Women Council (ARWC).

Women took part in the mass gathering to protest for the inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council in the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution at Boko in Assam’s Kamrup District, 07 April, 2023. Photo: Kulendu Kalita.

Nripen Khanda, President of ARSU, Tankeswar Rabha Chief Executive Member of RHAC, Aditya Khakhlary, General Secretary of the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organization of Assam (CCTOA) and many other leaders and executive members took part in the mass gathering.

“The BJP-led government has not expressed goodwill to include RHAC in Sixth Schedule even after they promised us before elections and after elections,” said Nripen Khanda, President, ARSU.

Tankeswar Rabha, Chief Executive Member of RHAC delivering his speech to the mass gathering to protest for the inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council in the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution at Boko in Assam’s Kamrup District, 07 April, 2023. Photo: Kulendu Kalita.

“The BJP-led government has betrayed us to save our land, culture, rights, Rabha and other communities living in the RHAC area by not giving Sixth Schedule status. So, we are ready to take revenge in the upcoming elections and warn the BJP workers and the only BJP MLA under the RHAC area to be careful,” added Khanda.

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“To cancel the sixth schedule status, the BJP-led government conspired by expanding Guwahati city through the implementation of the ASCRDA Bill, 2017. But the Rabha organisations protested and now our RHAC area is safe,” alleged Nripen Khanda.

“We will support the government or the political party that fulfils our demand. So we request the government to take our demand seriously like others. BJP’s motto is ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Bikash’, but where is our development, if they are not given us the Sixth Schedule status”, added Khanda.

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