Retain 5 pc quota for the indigenous

Indigenous people of the district formed a human chain and held a rally yesterday, demanding retention of the five percent allocation of quota privileges for the ethnic minority peoples in government job recruitment system.

They also submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through the deputy commissioner.

Around 300 indigenous people, including females, of different areas in the district attended the human chain at Bangabandhu Mukto Mancho in the town for one hour from 10:30am.

District unit of Uttarbango Adibasi Forum organised the programme.

Speakers at the rally said indigenous people of North Bengal are poor and deprived of different privileges. If the government withdraws quota system, the indigenous people will be more deprived.

In the case of higher education, the government should also keep the five percent quota for enrolment in the public and private universities for them.

In the memorandum, they urged the prime minister to keep five percent allocation of quota privileges in government job recruitment system for indigenous people.

Uttarbango Adibasi Parishad President Hingu Murmu, General Secretary Provat Tudu, Gomostapur upazila unit President Kornelius Murmu, Adibasi Academy in Nachole upazila president Jotin Hemrom, Adibasi Mukti Morcha President Biswanath Mahato, and student leaders Hakim Murmu and Mina Murmu spoke, among others, at the rally.