Dispur, December 15 :A delegation of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) along with representatives of 10 Koch Rajbongshi organisations on Sunday met Assam Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu here pressing the state government to expedite the process for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Koch Rajbongshi community and other groups.
During the meeting held on December 14 the delegation urged the government to fast track the ST status report and forward it to the Centre at the earliest to enable further action at the national level. They reiterated the demand that ST status be granted to six communities before the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
The six communities seeking ST status are the Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia and the tea-tribes Adivasi, which have been agitating for decades with some movements dating back to the late 1940s.
We will not remain silent or inactive until tribalisation is ensured leaders of the organisations said, warning that the agitation would continue if there were further delays in the process.
The groups also announced plans to approach central authorities including the Registrar General of India (RGI) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs to seek swift clearance of the report. A delegation is scheduled to visit New Delhi shortly to pursue the matter at the national level.
The demand comes against the backdrop of the Assam government tabling the Group of Ministers (GoM) report on ST status in the Assembly on November 29, 2025. Critics have alleged that the move was driven by electoral considerations ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, noting that despite repeated promises by the BJP since 2014, ST status has yet to be granted to the six communities.
The organisations expressed serious reservations over the GoM report, stating that it failed to address key issues sought by the Centre, including the quantum of reservation for the six communities and the adjustment of reservations for existing Other Backward Classes. They also objected to the proposal for a new ST (Valley) category, which would require a constitutional amendment.
Leaders further criticised the report’s proposal to geographically divide the Koch Rajbongshi community, describing it as anthropologically unjust and socially disruptive, and termed the approach towards the tea-tribe/Adivasi community as evasive and fragmented.
AKRSU also warned against any opposition to the tribalisation of the six communities, stating that resistance from tribal bodies “could significantly impact the socio-political landscape of Assam”.
The organisations said the demand for ST status is aimed at ensuring rapid socio-economic upliftment, political representation, preservation of language and culture, and security over land and traditional habitat, adding that there remains uncertainty over whether the Centre will accept or act upon the GoM report.
