Karbi Lammet Amei Opposes Assimilation
The highest forum of Karbi literature, ‘Karbi Lammet Amei’ has unswervingly opposed the Assam government’s attempt to assimilate various scheduled tribes of Assam like Karbi, Bodo, Dimasa, Rabha, Mising and Tiwa with the Assamese community while implementing the close 6 of the Assam accord signed in 1985 between agitating groups such as All Assam Students Union, Assam Government and Central Government.
The KLA President Sikari Tisso, addressing a press conference held yesterday at KLA headquarters, pointed out that on 25th September 2005 it formally announced its own view regarding the explanation of Assamese, where it was mentioned that people whose mother tongue is Assamese and are practicing Assamese culture and custom and have a distinct history.
The KLA also announced that those individuals or community who have lost their own culture and tradition and have absorbed within Assamese community are also Assamese. However, scheduled tribes of Assam such as Karbi, Bodo, Dimasa, Rabha, Mising and Tiwa who have their own history, dialect, traditions and are living within geographical limits of Assam are sons of the soil of this state but they are not Assamese.
The KLA President said the resolution of KLA was formally made known to Assam Sahatya Sabha President Kanak Sen Deka on 30th September 2005. Tisso also mentioned that ‘Sanmilita Sahatya Sabha Mancha’ was holding a symposium presided over by Kanak Sen Deka to find the definition of Assamese, where the decision of the ‘Karbi Lammet Amei’ was made public. After long discussion and deliberation, the ‘Sanmilita Sahatya Sabha Mancha’ decided to move to the appropriate authority to eradicate the phrase Assamese from clause 6 of the Assam accord and incorporate “Indigenous People of Assam.”
“The KLO believes that if any attempt is made to digest tribes of Assam within the fold of Assamese they will lose their identity. We consider the attempt of incorporating the scheduled tribes inside Assamese community as a conspiracy against the scheduled tribes and a category of de-facto domination,” KLO Chairman Sikari Tisso said.
