Assam: Adivasi council warns govt over exclusion of 42 communities from SC list

Guwahati: The Adivasi Tea Tribe Scheduled Caste Demand Council has warned the Assam government that excluding 42 Adivasi communities from the Scheduled Caste (SC) list could lead to widespread unrest across the state.

While speaking to the media at the Dhekiajuli Press Club on Thursday, Council President Dipen Nayak, Chief Advisor and writer Sanjay Kumar Tanti, and General Secretary Daulat Rajowar urged the government to include all 42 Adivasi communities listed in the second report of the three-member expert committee, along with the 36 communities mentioned in the first report.

Nayak, who is also an Executive Member of the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council, said that leaving out the 42 groups would be a violation of the 2022 Adivasi Peace Accord, which clearly calls for their recognition under the SC category.

“If the government sends only the proposal for 36 communities to the Registrar General of India while excluding the remaining 42, Assam will face serious unrest. A large-scale movement will follow as these communities rise to demand their constitutional rights,” Nayak warned.

He added that both the 36 and the 42 communities share similar ethnic and cultural roots with groups already recognised as Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Scheduled Castes (SC) in other Indian states. “If these groups enjoy Scheduled status elsewhere, the same must be ensured in Assam. We demand the inclusion of all 78 Adivasi communities together, without bias or discrimination,” Nayak said.

Chief Advisor Sanjay Kumar Tanti pointed out that Adivasi groups in Assam were classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC) in 1977. Despite decades of struggle, their demand for Scheduled recognition remains unresolved. He noted that the second expert committee report recommending 42 additional Adivasi groups for SC status has been left pending without any visible government action.

The Council also accused certain organisations of trying to weaken Adivasi unity. Responding to a social media post by David Tirkia, vice president of the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AAASA) led by Rejan Horo, who claimed that only 36 groups are genuine Adivasis of Assam, Nayak termed the statement divisive and baseless.

“Who is he to decide who is a true Adivasi? This is the time for unity, not division. It is unfortunate that some groups formed to defend Adivasi interests are now isolating their own people,” Nayak said.

He appealed to members of the 42 excluded communities to avoid participating in rallies or protests organised by such groups. “Our youth must understand that silence is also a form of betrayal. Those associated with organisations that ignore the cause of the 42 groups should reconsider their involvement,” he added.

General Secretary Daulat Rajowar reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to continue its democratic and constitutional movement until all 42 Adivasi communities receive their rightful recognition.

The press meeting was attended by several Adivasi leaders from diverse tea tribe groups and concluded with a resolution demanding that the Assam government immediately forward the proposal for inclusion of all 42 Adivasi communities in the SC list, ensuring equality, justice, and fulfillment of the 2022 Peace Accord.