KSA stage protest against 'anti-tribal' clause

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• Sep 16, 2021 | moderator

Dongkamukam: The Karbi Students Association (KSA) staged a protest against clause 2.3 of the Tripartite peace agreement signed with six armed organizations of Karbi Anglong. The parties signed the peace agreement on September 4, 2021.

The KSA led protest in Dongkamukam, Karbi Anglong was headed by president Semson Teron. They have shown their dissatisfaction over the 'anti-tribal' clause under the agreement.

The President of the organization, while addressing media persons, welcomed the accord but asked to exempt clause 2.3, which provided provision to non-tribals to contest in 10 MAC seats from 50 seats in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) MAC constituencies. 

KSA president Teron warned that the protest would be intensified if their demand was not fulfilled. 

Previously, the Karbi Students' body collectively issued a press announcement Monday on the recently-signed Karbi Anglong Peace Accord with the Centre and state laws.

"These anti-tribal clauses, which have been imposed on the signatories, are under Clause 2 of the agreement. The most serious is sub-clause 2.3 which opts to present 10 of the 44 elected seats for all communities. This goes against the very purpose of the Sixth Schedule. Including the bar on non-tribal(s) opposing in the elected seats is displayed in the very words of argumentation in the Constituent assembly. It was said that non-tribal(s) could seat in the council by being chosen solely but not through voting," the association stated.

"It is obvious that in a 'tribal area', as described in the schedule, only tribal(s) have a claim to oppose for election. That is why at the formation of the BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) into the schedule in 2003, since a preponderance of the population was non-tribal, a special reservation clause for the various communities was involved in the revised plan applies only to the BTC area. Therefore, to enforce such a formula in the original Sixth Schedule section of KAAC is against the purpose of the schedule," the statement continued.

The students emphasized that they embrace the peace means but reserve their claim to "condemn the violation of the hallowed policies of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India at the altar of 'majoritarian' politics."