Assam: Over 50,000 from Matak community to stage massive rally in Tinsukia demanding ST status

The Matak community of Assam is preparing for a massive show of strength, with nearly 50,000 members from over 30 villages set to march from Dikom to Lahowal in Tinsukia district on September 22, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The demonstration comes in the wake of a similar large-scale protest by the Moran community seeking ST recognition. Leaders of various Matak organisations have announced their readiness to press forward with the agitation, declaring that the community has been deprived of its rights for far too long.

“For the last 15 years, successive governments have deceived us by denying our rights. The BJP government had promised to grant ST recognition within six months of coming to power, but those assurances proved hollow after elections,” community members said.

They further alleged that the government has betrayed not only the Mataks but also six other communities that have been seeking ST status for years.

In the run-up to the protest, members of the All Assam Matak Youth Students’ Association have been visiting villages between Dikom and Lahowal, conducting awareness campaigns on the importance of Scheduled Tribe recognition. Community leaders have also visited local Namghars to seek blessings for the movement.