Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the state government is moving forward with a positive attitude, taking seriously the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic groups. This statement comes at a time when these six ethnic groups took out massive rallies yesterday (in Tinsukia and Dhubri districts). The Chief Minister informed that a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted keeping this demand in mind, and the report of this group will be presented in the upcoming assembly session.
Protest and police action in Dhubri
Police baton charged against protesters of Koch Rajbongshi community in Dhubri district, injuring several people. Reacting to the incident, the Chief Minister said, “The incident in Golokganj, Dhubri district is unfortunate. The government has taken action against negligent officers.” The Chief Minister also informed that the previous Congress government had passed a proposal to grant ST status to six ethnic groups in the Assembly, but he had some doubts about the process. The present government has held several rounds of talks in this matter and the Chief Minister says that the government is trying to resolve the matter with seriousness and positivity.
The process of granting ST status to six ethnic communities
The process of granting ST status to six ethnic communities – Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Tea Tribe and Koch Rajbongshi – is complex. For this, the recommendation of the state government, the consent of the RGI and the National Scheduled Tribes Commission is required. After this, the final decision is taken by amending the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order. The central government had formed a committee in 2016, which was headed by Mahesh Kumar Singla. It included representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Scheduled Tribes, RGI and the Government of Assam.
Political background and current situation
The Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, Asom (TAYPA) said that before the 2014 general election, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had said that six ethnic groups would be given ST status within six months if he came to power, but this promise has not been fulfilled till now. Chief Minister Sarma promised to present the GoM report in the assembly session, saying that when this report is presented in November 2025, the public will be able to see how sincerely and with a positive attitude the government is trying to solve the matter. This move is being considered important for the social and political sensibilities of Assam.
