Boko, March 14: The All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU) has warned that the BJP may face political challenges and have its political activities in Rabha-populated areas stopped if their demands are not met before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
ARSU and other Rabha groups protested for two hours in front of Circle offices in Boko under Kamrup district and simultaneously in Dudhnai under Goalpara district on Monday, demanding the inclusion of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) in the Indian Constitution’s Sixth Schedule and Rabha Development Council for Rabha tribal people living outside the RHAC area.
Despite the protests, the BJP-led state government has not taken any action to fulfill these demands, prompting ARSU General Secretary Pradip Rabha to say that they will be forced to stop the BJP party’s political activities in Rabha-populated areas. Rabha alleged that the BJP-led state government promised to include RHAC in the Sixth Schedule under the Indian Constitution but has not fulfilled this promise despite being almost ten years old.
President of Sixth Schedule Demand Committee, Dasarath Rabha, explained that their demand is to include the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council in the Indian Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to develop their Rabha tribal community. The BJP promised to fulfill this demand in 2016, and the Rabha community supported them and formed an alliance with the BJP-led state government. However, they have not fulfilled their promise, leading to protests.
ARSU president Nripen Khanda and Pradip Rabha submitted memorandums to the Dudhnai Circle Officer and Boko Circle Officer, respectively, to urge the state government to fulfill their demands.
To further their cause, ARSU plans to take out mass torchlight rallies by their regional committees under the RHAC area on March 17, 2023, followed by foot protests from Boko to Dhupdhara (around 18 kilometers) and Dudhnai to Dhupdhara (around 20 kilometers) on March 29, 2023. Finally, two mass protests meetings will be held in Dudhnai and Boko on April 3 & 12, 2023.
