Adivasi students burn effigy of MP Kamakhya Tasha over ST remark

Widespread protests erupted across Assam on Monday following controversial remarks made by Kaziranga MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasha against the Adivasi Christian community. 

The statement, made during a recent podcast interview, alleged that Christians from the Adivasi community should not be granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status — a comment that has since gone viral and drawn sharp criticism.

In response, the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AASAA) launched a statewide protest, directing its regional units to burn effigies of the MP. Acting on this call, the Margherita Regional Committee of AASAA organised a protest at Makum Bagan Tiniali, where they burned an effigy of Kamakhya Prasad Tasha.

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Protesters chanted slogans such as “Narendra Modi Murdabad,” “Kamakhya Prasad Tasha Murdabad,” and “BJP Government Murdabad,” expressing their deep resentment over the statement and the BJP's perceived stance on Adivasi rights.

Speaking at the protest, AASAA Margherita president Sanjay Barla and secretary Sebastian Turwa issued a stern warning to both the BJP-led governments in Assam and at the Centre. They demanded that the MP retract his statement immediately or face intensified protests. “If the remarks are not withdrawn, we will not hesitate to take up more aggressive agitation programs,” they said.

The controversy has reignited debates around the long-standing demand for ST status for Adivasis in Assam — an issue entangled in politics, identity, and constitutional rights.