Assam govt to discuss ST status protests with tribal groups: Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Assam government has announced plans to hold discussions with groups protesting the report on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities.

Protests have continued since the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) regarding the ST status for Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes (Adivasis) were presented in the state assembly. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the government's intent to address concerns raised by various organisations and opposition parties.

After a cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister stated, "We discussed the report on granting ST status to six communities and the developments surrounding it. We have noticed that some people, especially CCTOA, have not read the report properly but commented on it in the media." The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) has been leading the agitation, expressing apprehension that the inclusion of these six communities could negatively affect existing ST groups.

The Chief Minister asserted, "The cabinet believes that this report will facilitate the path to grant ST status to the six communities and will not affect the existing tribal communities." He acknowledged that there could be "difficulty in reading and understanding" the details, which might have led to doubts among some groups. To bridge this gap, government ministers will invite CCTOA representatives for direct discussions and explain the report to alleviate any misunderstanding.

Sarma indicated a willingness to meet with protest leaders himself, should further dialogue be necessary.

The report proposes a three-tier classification within the reservation system for STs in Assam. This approach aims to enable the inclusion of the six communities without affecting the reservation currently available to existing ST groups. According to the Chief Minister, "Such a big report has been tabled. There may be some apprehensions in some places. Maybe the report was not read properly. We believe that once the three-member cabinet committee explains the report, these apprehensions will also go away." He further stated that those currently classified as ST would not face a "single per cent damage."

When questioned about criticism from opposition parties, the Chief Minister said, "There is still some time left to send the report to the Centre. If the Congress has any suggestions, they can give them to us. We will definitely consider any positive suggestions. There is no timeline." He added, "The Congress has so far been with the six communities. From yesterday, they made a U-turn. That is why I have asked for their suggestions."