ULFA-I supports the definition of ‘indigenous people’ by organization led by Anup Chetia

Independent faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) stated that it supports the definition of "indigenous" people that was recently announced by Khilonjiya Mancha Asom, an organization led by Anup Chetia of pro-talks faction of ULFA (ULFA-PTF),The Telegraph reports on February 20. The Anup Chetia led organization had recently said that those who resided in Assam before the Yandabu Treaty of February 24, 1826 (when Assam was annexed to the British Empire) were indigenous people. Those who settled in the state thereafter and accepted Assamese culture as their own were accepted as Assamese but were not indigenous people. The statement said tea garden communities who were brought from Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh by the British to work in tea gardens of Assam and accepted Assamese language and culture as their own were also Assamese but they could not be considered as indigenous people. The outfit talked the same about Gorkhas and Nepalis living in Assam. ULFA-I ‘assistant publicity secretary’ stated that ‘We support the definition of indigenous people announced by the Mancha in its Guwahati Declaration which was resolved after a convention on February 12 and 13. Many local organisations and political parties, despite knowing the definition of indigenous people, have not yet made it public for their political gains and it is significant that the Mancha has done it’.