Guwahati, Nov. 4 -- The All Assam Tribal Students Union (AATSU) has demanded the withdrawal of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio's reported description of the Kachari community as migrants, asserting that the community has deep-rooted historical and ancestral links with Dimapur.

In a statement on Tuesday, AATSU president Hariswar Brahma said Dimapur was once the capital of the erstwhile Kachari Kingdom. Although the royal capital shifted to different locations for security reasons, the subjects continued to live in their ancestral villages and territories.

The organisation asserted that the Kacharis are indigenous inhabitants of the Dimapur region and cannot be termed migrants. It cited the historical remains of ancient Dimapur, inclu...