Tribal students protest in Kokrajhar against ST status move for six communities

Tension escalated in Kokrajhar on November 28 as tribal students of Science College staged a strong protest at the college entrance, opposing the Assam Cabinet’s recent approval to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six heterogeneous communities of the state. 

The students argued that expanding the ST list would dilute the rights, reservations, and constitutional safeguards of existing tribal groups, directly affecting their educational and employment opportunities.

Friday’s demonstration follows a similar uproar that unfolded two days earlier on November 27 at Bodoland University, where anger erupted immediately after the state Cabinet accepted a report submitted by a Group of Ministers recommending ST status for the six communities. 

The decision triggered widespread opposition among tribal bodies and student unions across the Bodoland region.

Members of the Bodoland University Students’ Union (BUSU), along with activists from the Coordination Committee Tribal Organisation of Assam (CCTOA) and other tribal student groups, launched protests on the university campus at Debargaon. Demonstrators blocked the main gate, staged a sit-in, and prevented all entry into the campus.

The blockade forced the university authorities to cancel all ongoing examinations. Several students who had arrived to appear for their exams were left stranded outside the closed gates, uncertain about the revised schedule.

Tribal organisations have warned that the Cabinet’s decision poses a direct threat to the political, cultural, and social rights of existing Scheduled Tribes, particularly in regions like Bodoland where reservation-linked opportunities are limited. They have vowed to intensify their agitation if the state government moves ahead with the proposed inclusion.

Protests are likely to continue in Kokrajhar and adjoining districts as the issue gains momentum across tribal communities in Assam.