The Assam Government has decided to engage in discussions with the groups protesting the Group of Ministers’ (GoM) interim report on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six major communities in the state. The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) has led the protests ever since the GOM had presented the interim report, regarding the ST status for Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes (Adivasis), during the recently concluded winter session of the State Assembly.
The CCTOA has expressed apprehension that the inclusion of these six communities in the ST category could negatively affect existing ST groups. In the wake of the agitation gaining momentum, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has conveyed the state government’s intent to address concerns raised by various organisations and Opposition parties. Addressing mediapersons, Sarma said that after the Cabinet meeting, the report on granting ST status to six communities and the developments surrounding it were discussed. “We have noticed that some sections, especially CCTOA, have not read the report properly but commented on it in the media.” The chief minister said “The Cabinet believes that the report will facilitate the path to grant ST status to the six communities and will not affect the existing tribal communities. There could be “difficulty in reading and understanding” the details, which might have led to doubts among some groups. To bridge this gap, the GoM will invite CCTOA representatives for direct discussions and explain the report to alleviate any misunderstanding,” Sarma informed the media.
The interim report of the GoM proposes a three-tier classification – ST (Hills), ST (Plains) and ST (Valley) within the reservation system for STs in Assam. This approach aims to enable the inclusion of the six communities without affecting the reservation currently available to existing ST groups. “We acknowledged the fact that there may be some apprehensions among some sections. At the same time, it could be that the report was not read properly. We believe that once the three-member cabinet committee explains the report, these apprehensions will be allayed.” Asked about the criticism from the Opposition parties, the Chief Minister said, “If the Congress has any suggestions, they can give them to us, as there is still time left to send the report to the Centre. We will definitely consider any positive suggestions. There is no timeline.” “The Congress has so far been with the six communities. From yesterday, they made a U-turn. That is why I have asked for their suggestions,’ he added.
