JAC to prepare combined ethnographic report of all left-out communities

<p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><b>GANGTOK,:</b> The recently-formed Joint Action Committee (JAC) on the ST status demand of the left-out communities of Sikkim and West Bengal held its second coordination meeting here at Gangtok on Sunday.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">Representatives of the dozen Nepali-speaking communities from the two regions who are pursuing the tribal status demand attended the important meeting. The JAC was formed on October 6 following the first coordination meeting of the left-out communities at Siliguri, which was also attended by Sikkim Chief Minister PS Golay and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">Addressing the media later, JAC president Dr. SK Rai shared the meeting resolved to prepare a comprehensive and combined ethnographic report of the left-out communities. This responsibility was given to the ethnographic report committee of the JAC.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">Dr. Rai added that the ethnographic report would be then submitted to the expert committee formed by the State government for vetting. After this, the vetted report would be placed to the respective State governments to be forwarded to the Government of India, he said.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">The JAC has also decided to hold coordination meetings in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Dooars.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">We have further planned to hold conventions across Sikkim and in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Dooars seeking support of the people in this cause and ask for their valuable suggestions, said Dr. Rai. </span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">The coordination meeting decided to form sub-committees like the youth wing, legal wing and students’ wing to assist the JAC in holding awareness camps and conventions at different locations in Sikkim and West Bengal.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="15"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;">“At the meeting, it was also decided that the JAC delegations will visit the Northeastern States and meet the respective CMs and MPs, and seek their support for the ST status demand of the left-out communities of Sikkim and West Bengal,” said Dr. Rai.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:'Book Antiqua';mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman'; font-size:11.0000pt;">&nbsp;</span></p>

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