Kokrajhar, Dec. 20: The All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam today staged a three-hour demonstration in front of the Kokrajhar deputy commissioner’s office on granting Scheduled Tribe status to Adivasi communities of Assam such as the Santhals, Uraons, Mundas and Khariyas.

A memorandum was submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh through Kokrajhar deputy commissioner Jayant Narlikar demanding ST status to the communities.

The association’s activists took out a cultural rally from Bodofa Nwgwr to the spot where the dharna was held.

The association’s vice-president, Regen Horo, speaking to reporters, warned that they would intensify their movement if the communities were denied ST status.

He said the state government has been giving wrong information regarding the community residing in Assam to the Centre and the Registrar General of India for which the communities were denied the ST status.

He said the three-member expert committee had submitted the report to the Assam government without proper study on the ethnographic report for which the Registrar General of India denied ST status to the communities.

Accusing the Congress government of being a political murderer, he said, “The government has deprived the Adivasi community residing in the state and furnished wrong information by terming them tea tribes.”

He warned that they would boycott the panchayat election: “We would be forced to boycott the next panchayat election if ST status is not granted.”

Satyanath Tudu, President Kokrajhar district AASAA said granting schedule tribe status is the only way to develop the Adivasis. ‘It will help the Adivasis to safeguard their language, culture and history”, he said.

The student leader also demanded proper clarification on the ground of denying the ST status to the communities. They also urged the RGI to give detail report for non fulfillment of reasonable criteria for obtaining the ST to the Adivasis of Assam viz Santhals, Uraon, Mundas, Khariya.