GoM report on ST status for six communities tabled in Assam Assembly amid protests
Guwahati: The long-awaited report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) recommending Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six communities in Assam was tabled in the State Legislative Assembly on the final day of the winter session on Saturday.
The report, placed by Tribal Affairs (Plains) Minister Ranoj Pegu, proposes granting ST status to the Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes (Adivasis). The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had approved the recommendations two days earlier.
Opposition parties demanded a discussion on the report in the House, but Speaker Biswajit Daimary turned down the request, triggering criticism from opposition benches, who later staged a walkout during passage of six education-related bills.
According to the interim recommendations, the GoM has proposed a three-tier structure aimed at accommodating the six communities while protecting the political and constitutional rights of existing Scheduled Tribes.
The proposal includes placing Moran, Matak and Koch-Rajbongshi groups of Goalpara district under the ST Plains category, with the GoM stating that there is minimal opposition from communities already within this category.
A new “ST Valley” category has also been suggested, which would allow the state government to reorganise reservation structures in the Parliament, assembly, local bodies, and state government jobs without affecting the existing entitlements for ST Plains and ST Hills communities.
The ST Valley category would receive separate quotas for state recruitment and education but will not dilute the current protections available to recognised tribal groups.
The GoM believes that granting ST recognition to these communities would also help them access the national ST pool in central educational institutions and government services. The Assam government plans to forward the report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which may seek verification from the Registrar General of India or request supporting data before taking a final call.
The report also recommends reserving two Lok Sabha constituencies covering Sixth Schedule areas exclusively for existing ST communities, which would require constitutional amendments.
Soon after the report was tabled, organisations representing the six communities celebrated the development, calling it a “historic step.” Rana Ranjan Gogoi, general secretary of the Tai Ahom Yuva Chhatra Parishad, said they were grateful to the state government for fulfilling their long-standing demand.
Demonstrations for early recognition have been taking place across Upper Assam, including in Tinsukia, with even some BJP leaders expressing solidarity.
However, tribal organisations under the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) strongly opposed the move, arguing that adding large non-tribal communities to the ST list could dilute constitutional protections and reduce reservation benefits for existing tribal groups such as the Bodos.
Student leaders warned during rallies that the decision could threaten the rights of current ST communities, and the influential All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) is expected to intensify the protests.
The report also recommends bringing 35 tea garden communities not currently listed as OBCs into the OBC category immediately, to allow a smoother path for their future consideration for ST or SC status.
Until Parliament approves ST status for the six communities, the GoM has advised targeted welfare schemes and a comprehensive socio-economic survey to support sub-categorisation within the state’s 27 percent OBC quota, especially to benefit tea garden and Adivasi groups.