ST Status: Heated situation at Janata Bhawan

Heated situation evoked at the meeting of six communities with the Group of Ministers on Friday evening in Janata Bhawan as members of Koch community boycotted the meeting. The members of the community after coming out of the meeting informed that they were insulted by the leaders of Koch-Rajbonshshi organisations during the meeting.

The members of Koch community informed that they were not given enough importance to present their opinion in front of the Ministers. They opposed the proposed inclusion of their community in the ST category along with the Rajbongshis.

While speaking to media after coming out of the meeting, a member of the Koch community said, "We Koch are different from Rajbongshis. We do not want to get ST status with the rajbongshis. We are a different community and we want a different identity."

Those who have boycotted the meeting included the leaders of Sadau Koch Sanmilani, All Koch Students' Union, Sadau Koch Mahila Parishad and Sadau Koch Sahitya Sabha. However, members of All Koch-Rajbonshi Students' Union (AKRSU) informed that the members of the organisation do not want the Koch and Rajbongshis to get divided and asked them to discuss the issue with themselves.