Gossaigaon: The All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) on Thursday sought immediate clarity from the Assam government on the long-pending demand for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six indigenous communities and announced a statewide Assam bandh on January 9 if the issue remains unresolved.
Addressing a press conference at the Gossaigaon Press Club, AKRSU president Dipen Ray and general secretary Sunadhar Ray expressed strong dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent remarks on the issue. They accused the state government of adopting “deceptive and dilatory tactics” and alleged that the ministerial committee report on tribal status, tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly on December 29, was meant to mislead the public.
AKRSU raised serious concerns over the decision to grant one month’s time to the Tribal Coordination Committee of Assam, which has opposed granting ST status to the six communities, claiming it would affect existing tribal groups. The student body alleged that this move had effectively stalled the entire process. Dipen Ray demanded clarity on whether the report had been forwarded to the Central government and criticised the Chief Minister’s statement that no community had demanded ST status ahead of elections, calling it misleading.
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Stating that the Koch Rajbongshi community has been agitating for decades, Ray said repeated assurances by the BJP have remained unfulfilled. He announced that if the government fails to clarify its stand by January 7, Koch Rajbongshi Martyrs’ Day, AKRSU will enforce a 12-hour statewide bandh on January 9.
General secretary Sunadhar Ray termed the committee report a “mere eyewash” and warned of intensified agitation, including a statewide campaign against the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections if the demand remains unmet.
