HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, July 31: The All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AAASA) staged a sit-in demonstration in Sivasagar on Wednesday, pressing for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and land rights for the Adivasi community in Assam.
The association also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister through the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner outlining a series of demands.
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The memorandum, signed by President Junaki Pandov, Vice President Bitul Kurmi, and Secretary Ajay Bhuyan, stated that the Adivasi community in Assam has long been deprived of Constitutional safeguards despite fulfilling most eligibility criteria for ST status—such as primitive traits, distinct cultural and social practices, and geographical isolation.
The association asserted that the demand for ST recognition is longstanding and essential for ensuring justice for one of the state’s most marginalised communities.
According to the memorandum, the Assam government had already sent a list of Adivasi communities to the Centre for ST recognition through letter no TAD/BC/323/08/PT-I/112 dated August 26, 2013.
This list includes 36 tribal groups such as Munda, Oraon, Santhal, Kharia, Saora, Shabar, Bhumij, Birhor, Gond, and Kol, among others.
AAASA maintained that all these communities deserve unconditional inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, warning that failure to act could erode the community’s trust in the government.
The students’ body also demanded land pattas for Adivasis who have been residing in the state for over a century and called for protection of those living on government land from eviction, as per the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Additional demands included the disbursement of daily wages at or above ₹551 in compliance with minimum wage norms, and timely implementation of social welfare schemes related to health, housing, and education in tea garden areas.
AAASA further urged the government to issue OBC certificates to eligible Adivasi communities to ensure access to reservation and other welfare benefits.
The memorandum also raised concerns over the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019, stating that it could potentially exclude non-Sixth Schedule tribal communities such as Assam’s Adivasis.
The organization demanded that the bill include specific protections for Adivasi rights and safeguard their social, cultural, and land entitlements. The demonstration reflected growing concern within the community about recognition, livelihood security, and inclusion in the state’s development framework.
