AASAA protests in Dhubri demanding ST Status, Rs 550 wage for tea workers

The All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association  (AASAA) on Thursday staged a two-hour sit-in protest in front of the Chapar Revenue Circle Office in Assam’s Dhubri district, strongly criticising the BJP-led state government over what it described as repeated betrayal of the Adivasi community.

Raising slogans against the government, AASAA leaders alleged that the BJP has misled Adivasis in the name of granting the Scheduled Tribe status. The organisation also accused the government of offering “token assurances” to tea garden workers on the issue of daily wages, without addressing their long-pending demands.

The protest was organised under the aegis of the Dhubri district committee of AASAA. Demonstrators demanded immediate steps towards the constitutional recognition of Adivasis as Scheduled Tribes, adequate compensation and rehabilitation for those affected by the recent incidents of ethnic violence in Kokrajhar district, and strict punishment for those involved in the alleged arson attacks on Adivasi homes.

In addition, the student body reiterated its demand for raising the minimum daily wage of tea garden workers to Rs 550 and called for urgent resolution of various longstanding problems faced by workers in tea estates.

AASAA leaders warned that failure to address these demands would compel the organisation to intensify its agitation in the coming days.

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