Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has defended the Group of Ministers’ report on granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities, asserting that the document contains no provisions that could harm or offend any section of society. The report, which addresses the long-pending demands of the Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribe (Adivasi) communities, was tabled in the Assembly on the final day of the Winter Session.
Speaking to reporters in Nagaon, Sarma said the recommendations were framed to ensure that all communities “move forward together” and that a proper reading of the report would dispel any misgivings. He argued that criticism of the document appears to stem from “not reading it carefully”, rather than from any factual concerns.
His remarks came amid protests in Kokrajhar, where students of Bodoland University stormed the BTC Secretariat’s assembly hall and vandalised property hours before the report was officially tabled. Sarma pointed out that the demonstration occurred at a time when the contents of the report were not yet public. “The protest was held at 3 pm, while the report was laid in the Assembly at around 7 pm. This clearly shows the agitation was based on assumptions,” he said.
The Chief Minister earlier suggested that misunderstandings may have arisen due to difficulties in interpreting certain sections of the document. To address this, the cabinet has directed GoM members—Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika—to hold discussions with the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), which has led protests opposing the proposal. CCTOA maintains that extending ST status to the six communities will diminish existing reservation benefits for current tribal groups.
To safeguard those interests, the report proposes a three-tier ST framework for Assam. Under the recommendation, a new category titled ST (Valley) would include the Ahom, Chutia, Tea Tribes and Koch-Rajbongshi (barring those in undivided Goalpara). The Moran, Matak and Koch-Rajbongshi of Goalpara have been suggested for inclusion under the existing ST (Plains) category, where resistance is reportedly lower.
The report underscores the need for continued consultations with stakeholders and notes that any final decision will require a constitutional amendment passed by Parliament.
