HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Nov 21: More than ten thousand Indigenous people marched through Kokrajhar today in a massive demonstration demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Adivasi communities, alongside four other key demands including higher wages for tea workers and the issuance of land pattas.
The protest was organised by the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AASAA) in collaboration with the Adivasi National Party.
Related Posts:
The rally began at Dimlagao in Kokrajhar town before moving along the JD Road stretch in Titaguri and culminating at Green Field in Bodofa Nagar, where a large public meeting was held.
Participants carrying placards and banners calling for ST status filled the streets, and the crowd’s sheer size caused significant traffic congestion along JD Road and adjoining areas.
At the public gathering, leaders of AASAA, Adivasi Seva Samiti and the All Assam Adivasi Women’s Association criticised the BJP-led government for what they described as its continued failure to grant ST status to six Indigenous communities of Assam.
The speeches were accompanied by loud anti-government slogans raised by participants throughout the event.
AASAA Central President Goodwin Hembram said Adivasi communities are “born Scheduled Tribes” and asserted that ST status is their constitutional right.
He added that the large gathering in Kokrajhar reflects the unity and determination of Adivasi people to continue their movement if the government does not respond.
“This is only the beginning. If the government fails to act, a much stronger agitation will follow,” he warned.
Hembram urged the Assam government to act on the Adivasi community’s long-standing demands, saying that denying them their rights would invite a strong response from the people.
Several prominent Adivasi leaders, including Pauline Ekka, President of the All Assam Adivasi Women’s Association, and Paul Tudu, District President of AASAA, joined the protest.
During the rally, some participants were seen carrying traditional bows and arrows. Police later seized these items as a precautionary measure.
