Amid growing protests in the state over the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that his government would convene the protesters to discuss the report in detail.
The protests began on Saturday when the Group of Ministers (GoM) presented recommendations in the state assembly for granting ST status to the Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes (Adivasi) communities.
Speaking at a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Sarma said, “Some groups, especially the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA), have commented on the report without fully reading it.”
The CCTOA has led the movement, claiming that including these six communities in the ST category could adversely impact existing tribal groups. Sarma assured that the GoM report was prepared to grant ST status to six communities without affecting existing tribal reservations. To clear any misunderstandings, a three-member GoM team—Ranoj Pegu, Keshav Mahanta, and Pijush Hazarika—will meet with CCTOA representatives to explain the report. Sarma may also meet with them in person if necessary.
Sarma said, “The report suggests a three-tier reservation system for education and jobs for the six communities while protecting existing ST groups,” he said, emphasizing that existing ST communities will not lose any benefits. Responding to opposition criticism, Sarma said the Center still has time to submit the report and seek suggestions from the Congress.
He added, “The Congress initially supported the six communities, but has recently changed its stance. We will consider any positive suggestions.” Meanwhile, the Kokrajhar district administration on Sunday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code (BNSS), 2023, a day after violent protests at the BTC Secretariat, prohibiting the movement and assembly of people in the Secretariat complex and surrounding areas of Kokrajhar town. The order, issued by District Magistrate Masanda M. Pertin, follows the November 29 incident in which a large group of students stormed the BTC Secretariat during a rally to protest against the alleged dilution of the status of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
