HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Oct 16: The All Assam Tribal Students’ Union (AATSU) has strongly opposed the recent announcement by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic communities — Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, and Adivasi (Tea Tribes). The union described the move as anti-tribal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated.
In a statement released on Thursday, AATSU warned that this decision threatens to dilute and undermine the rights, identity, and constitutional safeguards of Assam’s genuine aboriginal and indigenous tribal peoples. “If implemented, this decision will strike at the heart of the true Scheduled Tribes of Assam — the sons and daughters of the soil who have preserved their culture, language, and traditions since time immemorial,” the statement said.
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The students’ union emphasised that ST status cannot be demanded arbitrarily, it must be granted based on constitutional and anthropological criteria outlined by the Lokur Committee (1965) and upheld by the Supreme Court of India. These criteria include primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with other communities and general backwardness. According to AATSU, none of the six communities under consideration meet these requirements.
Highlighting contradictions, the union pointed out that the Rajbongshi community is recognised as a Scheduled Caste (SC) in West Bengal but is seeking ST recognition in Assam, which they called a clear constitutional inconsistency. They also noted that the Koch and Rajbongshi belong to different linguistic and ethnic groups.
Regarding the Adivasi (Tea Tribes), AATSU stated that they were brought to Assam by the British in the 19th century as plantation workers. Despite their current population exceeding 90 lakh, they cannot be considered indigenous to Assam. The Tai Ahoms, who migrated in the 13th century and ruled parts of Assam, are described as socially and politically advanced, disqualifying them from ST status based on backwardness or isolation.
The union also argued that the Moran, Motok, and Chutia communities have long been assimilated into the Assamese mainstream, lacking primitive traits or geographical isolation. It further noted that the Registrar General of India (RGI) has rejected Assam’s ST proposal eight times for failing to meet constitutional and anthropological standards.
Accusing the BJP-led government of pushing the proposal for electoral benefits, AATSU warned that the inclusion of these six communities would deprive genuine ST students of educational opportunities, reduce job prospects for tribal candidates, and weaken political representation of smaller indigenous tribes.
“This move will amount to constitutional betrayal and reverse decades of progress achieved by genuine tribal movements,” the statement said.
The union also criticised the government for neglecting tribal-majority districts such as Udalguri, Baksa, Chirang, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao by failing to establish premier educational institutions like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, NIT, and Central Universities in these areas. “If the government is truly committed to tribal upliftment, why are these institutions all located in urban centers far from tribal belts?” it questioned.
Concluding, AATSU stressed that the issue is not about lack of funds but a lack of political will and tribal representation in decision-making. “Justice cannot be achieved by dividing one plate among more people, it can only be achieved by serving more plates,” the union said.
