Saotal community steps up demand for ST status with massive rally in Assam's Kokrajhar

The All Saotal Students’ Union (ASSU) held a large-scale protest rally on November 7, pressing for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the indigenous Saotal community in Assam. The rally, organised by ASSU’s Central Committee with support from its Kokrajhar District Committee, drew hundreds of demonstrators.

The protest began at Karigaon High School playground and concluded at Jaipur High School playground after a march along National Highway 27. Participants carried banners and shouted slogans demanding justice and recognition for the community, urging both the state and central governments to address long-standing grievances.

ASSU leaders outlined four major demands: immediate inclusion of the indigenous Saotal community in the list of Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 of the Constitution, distribution of land pattas to Saotal residents, issuance of official community certificates, and full implementation of the Tripartite Adivasi Peace Accord signed in 2022.

Speaking at the rally, union representatives said the Saotal community, one of Assam’s earliest inhabitants, continues to face systemic neglect and exclusion from constitutional benefits. They warned that if the government fails to act, the movement will be intensified through democratic means across the state.