Guwahati, November 29: On the final day of the winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, the much-awaited report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic communities – Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea-Adivasi – was hurriedly tabled amid noisy protests from the opposition benches.
What was supposed to be a moment of celebration for lakhs of people who have agitated for decades turned into bitter disappointment within minutes.
Independent MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi tore into the report, calling it “completely fake” and a pre-election “lollipop” by the ruling BJP.
“This government has invented a new category called ST-Valley (ST-V) which does not exist anywhere in the Constitution of India or in the central list of Scheduled Tribes,” Gogoi told reporters outside the Assembly. “Now they want three categories – ST-Plains, ST-Hills and this imaginary ST-Valley. This is nothing but cheating the people.”
According to the GoM report: Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Tea-Adivasi communities and Koch-Rajbongshis living outside the undivided Goalpara area will be placed under the newly created “ST-Valley” category.
Koch-Rajbongshis living in undivided Goalpara and old Kokrajhar districts will be included in the existing ST-Plains list.
Crucially, people placed in the “ST-Valley” category will get no reservation in jobs, no reserved Assembly or Parliament seats, and no central government job quotas.
The report openly admits that the GoM could not find any “viable mechanism” to grant proper ST status and has simply forwarded the matter to the Centre.
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia (Congress) termed the entire exercise a cruel joke ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.
“This is the same false promise the BJP made before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections – that they would grant ST status within six months. Eleven years have passed, and today they bring an interim report that gives nothing,” Saikia said. “They are not serious. They have just kicked the ball to Delhi so they can keep milking votes from these communities.”
For the six communities whose youth have been holding rallies, hunger strikes and road blockades for years, the report offers no immediate relief and no clear roadmap.
Repeated attempts to get reactions from BJP ministers and MLAs went unanswered as most rushed out of the Assembly complex after the session was adjourned sine die.
Whether the Centre will accept Assam’s newly invented “ST-Valley” category remains highly doubtful, leaving the long-cherished dream of Scheduled Tribe status as distant as ever for over 80 lakh people in the state.
The Assam Cabinet, in its meeting on November 27, formally approved the controversial Group of Ministers (GoM) report on granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities.
The panel was headed by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and included Ministers Pijush Hazarika and Keshab Mahanta as members. With the Cabinet’s nod secured, the state government tabled the report in the Assembly on the last day of the winter session today, paving the way for it to be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (through the Ministry of Home Affairs) for final consideration and decision by the Central government.
