Despite the hype generated by a possible tie-up between the All Assam Adivasi Students' Association (AAASA) and the All Assam Tea Students' Association (AATSA), there are now indications that the proposed tie-up may not materialise at all.
The AAASA has for some time now claimed the possibility of an electoral association with the AATSA in what could have formed a formidable force against the ruling Congress in the coming elections in the state's tea belt. However, senior AATSA leaders on Thursday said that the AAASA did not have adequate representation and that it only represented the Christian section within the tea workers' community.
"As for the AATSA, it represents all the 97 sub-castes of the community", the association's leaders claimed.
This, they said, made a tie-up between the two sides difficult. AATSA is slated to organise a political convention by the end of this month to gauge the mood of the community in terms of a new political front.
The AAASA has, meanwhile, warned that no one should take the tea community for granted.
{{/usCountry}}The AAASA has, meanwhile, warned that no one should take the tea community for granted.
{{/usCountry}}"There will be no compromise with political brokers", said AAASA president Jaston Lakra.
"No one will be allowed to distribute bottles and blankets among the community as they had done during the last elections", he said.