Guwahati: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has sought ST status for tea tribe community members in Assam.
CM Soren has written to his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma, claiming that tea tribes are marginalised despite their significant contribution to the economy of the state.
The Jharkhand Chief Minister expressed deep concern about the plight of 70 lakh tea tribe community members in Assam.
CM Sarma, who is the BJP’s election co-in-charge for Jharkhand, recently attacked the JMM government for various reasons.
“I am acutely aware of the significant challenges faced by the tea tribes in Assam, more so because a majority of them are the indigenous tribes of Jharkhand, including Santhali, Kuruk, Munda, Oraon and others, whose ancestors migrated during colonial rule to work in tea plantations,” Soren said.
“I very strongly feel that they meet the criteria for ST status, including their distinct cultural identity, traditional way of life, and vulnerability to exploitation,” Soren wrote to Sarma.
Although most of the ethnic groups of the tea tribes are recognised as STs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, Assam continued to classify them as OBCs, he added.
He claimed that despite their significant contributions to Assam’s economy and cultural heritage, the tea tribe community remains marginalized and is denied the same benefits and protections accorded to Scheduled Tribes.
The tea tribes of Assam, while being classified as OBCs, miss out on several crucial government benefits and opportunities due to their non-ST status, including many central government schemes specifically designed for STs, such as the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, the Tribal Development Cooperative Societies (TDCS) scheme, and the National Tribal Health Mission, he said.
He further stated that as non-STs, these tribals are ineligible for many government programmes and schemes designed to uplift marginalised communities like educational scholarships, housing subsidies, and healthcare facilities.
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Soren stated that their contributions to the region’s economy and culture, coupled with their socio-economic deprivation and unique cultural heritage justify this recognition.
By granting them Scheduled Tribe status, we can rectify historical injustices, foster social justice, and ensure that the tea tribes have the same rights and opportunities as other marginalized communities in Assam, he said.
