Guwahati, Nov 30: The Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) on Sunday set ablaze copies of the Group of Ministers (GoM) report intensifying its opposition to the government’s proposal on Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six communities.
The protest followed the tabling of the GoM’s interim report in the Assam Legislative Assembly on November 29. Rejecting the recommendations outright, the CCTOA announced a series of agitation programmes against what it termed an “unacceptable” move to include six “advanced and populous” communities in the ST list.
Speaking to reporters, CCTOA chief coordinator Aditya Khakhlari said, “We demand a high-level discussion with the Chief Minister in the presence of GoM members on the recommendations. If the talks fail, we will launch a rigorous mass movement, including railway and national highway blockades.”
Khakhlari reiterated the organisation’s firm stance: “We oppose the ST recommendation for the six ethnic groups. How can the government tag them as ST? This is not acceptable to us.”
The GoM, chaired by Tribal Affairs (Plains) Minister Ranoj Pegu, was tasked with examining the longstanding demand for ST status by the Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribe (Adivasi) communities. Its report suggests a three-tier ST classification to accommodate these groups without affecting existing tribal reservations.
To maintain the current quota structure, the GoM has proposed creating a new category, ‘ST (Valley)’, to include the Ahom, Chutia, Tea Tribe, and Koch-Rajbongshi communities (except those from undivided Goalpara). Meanwhile, Morans, Mataks, and Koch-Rajbongshis from Goalpara would be placed under the existing ‘ST (Plains)’ category, with the report noting that the current beneficiaries of this category “should not have any objection.”
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