Koch Rajbongshi group meets Sonowal on ST status demand

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Koch-Rajbongshi community played an important role in the formation of Assamese community and the state government was committed to safeguard their language, culture and distinct identity. He said this while a delegation of Koch-Rajbongshi organisations led by All Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) met him at Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara in Guwahati on Wednesday. The AKRSU leadership met Sonowal for the first time after unification of both factions of the students’ body and discussed with him issues related to the demand of Scheduled Tribe status for the community. AKRSU president Arun Kumar Roy and its advisors Hitesh Barman and Pradip Roy underlined the democratic movement being carried out by the students’ body and other Koch Rajbongshi organisations demanding ST status and separate Kamatapur State as well as several round of talks being held with the Government of India in this regard. The Chief Minister informed the delegation that the State Government was taking wholehearted efforts for scheduling the six communities including the Koch Rajbongshi’s and adopted several positive steps for fulfilling their demands. He said that there are many technical aspects of the issue and several communities in India were also demanding for ST status. Stating that the State government was committed to provide social, political, cultural and economic security to all communities of the state and to empower them in all possible ways, the Chief Minister said that a cabinet sub-committee with three senior ministers were formed to relentlessly pursue the ST issue.