Speaking to reporters during the Assam Swahid Divas programme, BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary said that the Bodoland Territorial Council has no objection to granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the six communities. However, he stressed that the status should be given without any form of sub-categorisation inside the BTC area.
Mohilary made it clear that categories such as ST (Plains) and ST (Hills) should not exist within the Bodoland region. He said the council will soon send its written stand to the Central Government as well as the Registrar General of India. According to him, creating different categories within the council area will only lead to confusion and differences among communities.
He also informed that the BTC government has demanded a judicial inquiry into the vandalism that took place at the BTC Secretariat on November 29. The incident happened during a protest organised by tribal student groups. The BTC administration wants a proper legal examination of the incident and the events that led to the vandalism. 
The Bodoland Territorial Council, led by Mohilary, recently held an executive meeting where the decision on the six communities was discussed and approved. The stand taken by the BTC goes beyond the earlier recommendations submitted by the Assam Government’s ministerial group.
Earlier in the day, Assam Swahid Divas was observed at the Kokrajhar District Higher Secondary Playground. The programme was organised by the Kokrajhar District Administration. Mohilary attended the programme as the Chief Guest along with several Executive Members and council representatives.
Speaking at the event, Mohilary said that Shaheed Diwas is being observed across the state under the leadership of the Assam Government. He said he was pleased to take part in the programme in Kokrajhar and thanked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for starting the district-level observance of Shaheed Diwas across Assam.
