Guwahati: Unhappy with the reservation of seats for Schedule Tribe (ST) and Schedule Caste (SC) communities in the Assam delimitation draft proposal, the indigenous groups on Tuesday demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) to review the reservation status of seats for the communities, both in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley.
According to the draft delimitation proposal released by the ECI on June 20, SC assembly seats have increased from 8 to 9 while ST assembly seats have increased from 16 to 19.
The reserved seats for STs in Lok Sabha are two and one is reserved for SCs.
The assembly seats reserved for STs are Dotma, Kokrajhar, Goalpara West, Dudhnoi, Sidli Chirang, Boko, Tamulpur, Udalguri, Dhemaji, Jonai, Dhakuakhana, Majuli, Bokajan, Howraghat, Diphu, Rongkhang, Amri and Dima Hasao.
Lok Sabha seats reserved for STs include Diphu and Kojkrajhar.
Reserved seats in the state assembly for SCs are Ratabari, Narasingpur, Naoboicha, Behali, Raha, Jagiroad, Dimoria. Hajo and Barpeta.
The lone Lok Sabha seat reserved for SCs is Silchar.
“According to the 2001 Census, the SC population constitutes 7.50 per cent of the total population. And as per the reservation policy passed in the Parliament, we have to get 9 seats in the assembly. But surprisingly, we have been allotted only 8 seats in the last years,” Anusuchit Jati Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) general secretary Jitu Kakati told EastMojo on Tuesday.
“Even as they claimed that the reserved seats for SCs are increased, it is not increased, they are proposing to give us the legitimate seats that we have to get. Since 1976 they have been depriving us of due representation in the state assembly,” Kakati said.
“There is no reservation of seats for SC from Nagaon to Sadiya. Boko was removed as SC reserved seat even as there is 22.50 per cent SC population. Teok was not reserved for SC despite having a 37 per cent SC population. Bokakhat also we have a 22.50 per cent SC population. In Jorhat also we have 26 per cent population. Dergaon is also removed from the ST reservation list despite having a 21 per cent SC population. Demoria is reserved for SC, but it should be reserved for ST because the ST population is higher than the SC population in this constituency,” Kakati said.
“We also demand Nagaoan Lok Sabha seat as SC reserved constituency because two assembly segments- Raha and Jagiroad are reserved for SC people here,” Kakati added.
The increase of seat reservations for ST people has been a long pending demand of All Assam Tribal Sangha and All Asam Tribal Youth League.
“We have reviewed the draft proposal in a joint core committee meeting at Sivasagar on June 25. Now the ST reserve seats have been increased from 16 to 19. Overall, we welcome the delimitation draft proposal. But we have to speak something on it,” All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) secretary general Aditya Khakhlary told reporters here on Tuesday.
“We have found that not a single seat was reserved for ST people in the Central Assam region. Morigaon was reserved for STs till 1976. But the reservation was lifted in 1977. We demand the ECI restore the reservation of the constituency for ST people considering a handful of tribal population, mostly Tiwa people in the constituency. There will be no representation of Tiwa people in the state assembly if this seat is not reserved for ST people,” Khakhlary said.
“Some tribal-dominated areas like Ghabua Mouza, Uttar Khola and Gobha Mouza of Morigaon have been included in Jagiroad to keep Morigaon open for general candidates. We demand Morigaon to be reserved for ST (P) again. We will submit memorandum to EC team during its visit to Assam in July,” Khakhlary also said.
“We have noticed that delimitation was not carried out in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) according to the Sixth Schedule provision. Darrang Lok Sabha constituency has been created with Tamulpur, Goreswar, Rangia, Kamalpur, Bhergaon, Udalguri, Mazbar, Tangla, Sipajhar, Mangaldoi and Dalgaon.But Rangiya, Kamalpur, Sipajhar, Mangaldai and Dalgaon are outside the BTR. Thererore we urged the ECI to constitute another Lok Sabha constituency as Udalguri comprising the six assembly segments under VTR which will be reserved for ST people,” he further said.
He said that in Kamrup Metro district, a new constituency Demoria was created. However, the people of the locality, especially those from Chandrapur opposed the name and preferred to name it Pragjyotishpur, which was the ancient name of Kamrup. “Moreover, the seat was reserved for SCs. We want the seat to be open for any indigenous tribe,” he said.
“We also demanded the ECI for exclusion of ward numbers 52, 46 and 49 of Guwahati from the proposed Demoria constituency,” he also said.
“Majuli has been an assembly segment of Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat for a long time, but this time it was included with Jorhat Lok Sabha seat. Residents of Majuli are not happy with it. They want to be retained with Lakhimpur constituency again,” he added.
