Caste certificate row: Assam CM says issue with adivasi students’ bodies resolved after talks

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 9 announced that the long-standing issue of caste certificates for the state’s tea tribe and Adivasi communities has been amicably resolved after discussions with the Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA). 

The Chief Minister said the government would issue an appropriate notification at the earliest.

The assurance came days after hundreds of AASAA members staged a protest along NH-37 at Makum in Tinsukia district, demanding caste certificates based on specific Adivasi identities rather than the broad categorisation currently in use. 

Protesters argued that the government’s present practice of issuing OBC certificates under four categories — tea garden labourers, tea garden tribes, ex-tea garden labourers, and ex-tea garden tribes — dilutes the cultural and historical uniqueness of more than 100 distinct groups within the tea community.

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AASAA leaders maintained that the classification erases the identities of communities such as Santhal, Oraon, Munda, Kharia, Bhumij, Teli, Tanti, Kurmi, Karmakar, Mahato, Nagbansi, Kanika, and Rajgarh. 

They warned of political consequences if the BJP government failed to address the issue before the next state elections. 

The demonstration concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the local circle officer. AASAA has vowed to intensify its agitation if concrete steps are not taken soon.

The Chief Minister’s announcement of a resolution is expected to calm tensions, though community leaders are likely to wait for the government’s official notification to assess whether their demands for recognition of specific caste identities have truly been met. 

The matter holds significant weight ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, with the Adivasi community emerging as a decisive political force.