Boko: The All Rabha Students' Union on Saturday decided to launch a protest against the Assam State Capital Region Development Authority Act by burning the effigy of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal at its 13 offices in Kamrup district on Sunday.

The union said the development authority would pose a serious threat to the identity and culture of the Rabha community with the inflow of outsiders to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area following expansion of the capital region.

The union's Kamrup unit president, Hiteswar Rabha, said the protest had the supported of the Rabha National Literature Committee, Rabha National Council and Rabha Hasong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, among others. He said they would chalk out a future course of action, which would include road blockades and rallies, after the Sunday protest.

The 40-member council was created under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council Act, 1995, covering parts of Kamrup and Goalpara districts for all-round economic, educational, socio-cultural development of the Rabhas.

The union said it has been opposing the bill from the outset.

"Rabha organisations had met the chief minister on the issue. He had said the rights of the indigenous people would not be affected and the Rabha areas would be excluded from the purview of the bill, which was passed on September 15, 2017. Now, the governor has given assent to the bill. So, we have decided to protest as we want the tribal belt out of the development authority," Rabha said.

The Assam Assembly passed the bill by voice vote in September 2017 to establish a regional development authority for preparation of a plan for the development of the State Capital Region covering areas under the five districts of Kamrup (metro), Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morigaon.

Cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said in the Assembly that the regional authority would not infringe on the powers of either local bodies or the Rabha Hasong and Tiwa autonomous councils. The chief minister-headed authority will have 12 members, including the finance, Guwahati development department and urban development ministers.

However, the All Assam Tribal Sangha had opposed the development authority bill because the indigenous people in Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council and Tiwa Autonomous Council could allegedly lose their land and be rendered homeless.

"If the city expansion plan materialises, the RHAC and TAC will turn into tax collection councils. Government records say 4,18,076 bighas out of 85,80,842 bighas of land in tribal belts and blocks are under encroachment. In Kamrup (metro) district alone, a total of 2,046 bighas of land under tribal belts and blocks have been encroached upon. The ASCRA is against the welfare of the people," All Assam Tribal Sangha secretary general Aditya Khakhlari had said.