Assam to give protected-class tag to Ahoms in tribal blocks, belts

GUWAHATI: Ahoms, who ruled most of the Brahmaputra valley in present-day Assam for about 600 years till the coming of the British in 1826, will be accorded protected-class status in tribal blocks and belts of the state.
This was announced by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a meeting with several leading organizations of the Tai-Ahom community here on Sunday.
Even as the prime demand of the Tai-Ahoms and five other communities of Assam for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status remained unresolved, the CM urged Tai Ahom organisations and Tribal Sangha members to sit for a discussion to sort out issues for moving forward. But the CM said the state government has already agreed in-principle to send recommendation to accord ST status to the Matak community to the Union government.
The All Assam Tribal Sangha, the apex body of the tribal organizations of the state, have been critical about enlisting six more communities in the ST category which it feels will severely hamper the political interests of the existing tribal communities. The Centre introduced the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha on January 9 the same year with the aim of granting ST status to six communities in Assam, which are currently enjoying OBC status. The names of six communities — Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and Tea Tribes — featured in the Bill for granting ST status.
But these communities have not yet got the status as it has to be ascertained by the state government before the Bill can be passed in Parliament. A state cabinet committee headed by the then cabinet minister Sarma was given the responsibility to decide on the quantum of reservation for the six communities which remains pending.
Nevertheless, the CM assured a slew of other plans for the politically influential community, saying a Tai Language Teaching Centre would be set up by the state government to sustain and popularise the language. He added that Sukapha Samannway Kshetra at Jorhat would be turned into a top tourist attraction and all works would be completed within two years.
A Tai museum at Joysagar and Joymoti Museum on Rang Ghar premises in Sivasagar, the seat of Ahom glory that was their erstwhile capital region, would be built, he informed.
He also said all places of worship of Ahoms will be preserved and developed under Asom Darshan scheme of the state government and a statue of Sukapha, the founder of Ahom dynasty, will be built at the state secretariat Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.
Sarma said all indigenous communities of Assam must remain united so that Sukapha’s Assam can be protected from infiltrators.
The CM said Rs 125 crore committed to Tai Ahom Development Council would be released by November 30. He also assured that the proposal of setting up Swargadeo Sukapha University would be considered. In another meeting with the Matak community organizations, the CM said Sodou Asom Matak Sanmilan will be made the sole body for granting OBC certificates to the members of the community.