Students storm streets outside Cotton University to oppose ST status for six communities

A spirited protest was held on November 30 in front of Cotton University as hundreds of students and youth from eight tribal communities gathered to oppose the Assam government’s proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities. 

The demonstration came in the wake of the Group of Ministers submitting its recommendations in the Assam Legislative Assembly, triggering strong apprehensions among existing tribal groups.

The student organisations warned that the proposal could directly undermine the rights of present Scheduled Tribes in the state. They argued that granting ST status to additional communities might dilute hard-won constitutional protections, land rights, reservation benefits and socio-political safeguards currently enjoyed by recognised tribes. The protest saw active participation from the Bodo Students’ Union, Mising Students’ Study Circle, Takam Mising Porin Kebang, Dimasa Students’ Community (Guwahati and CU), Greater Guwahati Karbi Students’ Union, Rabha Students’ Society and Tiwa Literary and Heritage Students’ Forum.

A sizeable police contingent was deployed to maintain law and order, and despite the intensity of the concerns raised, the protest remained peaceful throughout.

The students submitted a detailed memorandum outlining their objections. They urged the government to guarantee that the rights of existing ST communities remain fully protected and unaffected by any new inclusions. They demanded that the socio-political, cultural, economic, educational and land-related rights enshrined for current ST groups must not be altered under any circumstances.

A key point of their memorandum emphasised that Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886—which safeguards Tribal Belts and Blocks—must remain untouched and applicable exclusively to the existing Scheduled Tribes. They further insisted that eviction and protective measures in these notified areas must continue in accordance with Gauhati High Court directives.

The students voiced strong objections to Clause 6.6 of the GoM report, which suggests that the six communities could be included due to the absence of substantial opposition. They argued that such an approach is unacceptable, asserting that eligibility must be determined purely on constitutional provisions and anthropological assessment. They also objected to Clause 6.13, which proposes a new land-transfer restriction law applicable to both the newly proposed and the existing ST groups, stating that this would curtail the current right of recognised tribes to purchase land from any resident of Assam.

The memorandum also urged the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) not to issue any No Objection Certificate (NOC) that could potentially affect the land rights or constitutional protections of existing ST communities. If any NOC has already been issued, the students demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Reiterating their stand, the student bodies appealed to the government to intervene with urgency and ensure that none of the rights or safeguards of Assam’s existing Scheduled Tribe communities are compromised during ongoing or future policy decisions related to ST status.