Dimasa Students’ Union announces rally in Haflong opposing GoM report on ST status demand

The Dimasa Students’ Union (DSU) has announced a mass rally in Dima Hasao district headquarters on December 3 to protest the Group of Ministers’ (GoM) report recommending Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six additional communities in Assam. 

The report, tabled in the Assembly on Saturday, has triggered concern among existing ST communities, including the Dimasas, who fear that expanding the list will dilute their political and constitutional safeguards.

The GoM has proposed a new three-tier classification for STs in the state, recommending a separate ‘ST (Valley)’ category and the inclusion of the Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi (excluding Gopalarp) and Tea Tribe communities. The state government has indicated that the final decision must be taken by Parliament through a Constitutional amendment.

DSU leaders said the proposed changes threaten long-standing reservation structures and could adversely affect education and employment opportunities for existing tribal communities. They stated that their concerns were not adequately addressed before the GoM report was finalised.

The December 3 rally is expected to witness wide participation from student and tribal bodies across Dima Hasao. The programme will include marches and public meetings demanding that both the state and central governments withdraw the proposal and initiate wider consultations with existing ST groups.

Earlier, the DSU had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressing strong objections to the inclusion of new communities under ST status without thorough dialogue. The union said the move undermines the interests of indigenous tribes and called for a “collective opposition” to safeguard constitutional protections.

The state government, meanwhile, has maintained that all stakeholders will be consulted for a ‘conclusive solution’. However, opposition from existing tribal groups continues to intensify as the December 3 rally approaches.