“BJP's Hidden History of Tribal Status Delay Needs to Be Exposed”: Says Debabrata Saikia

Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Friday strongly criticised the BJP-led Assam government over the prolonged delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities, accusing it of constitutional violations, political manipulation, and deliberate insensitivity.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s recent remarks on tribal status and the situation in Karbi Anglong, Saikia said the issue of ST status for the six communities was raised during the concluding proceedings of the latest Assembly session. He stated that although the Group of Ministers submitted its report on November 29, the opposition was not given any opportunity to place its views on record thereafter.

Saikia took strong exception to the Chief Minister’s claim that no political party or organisation wants tribal status ahead of elections. Calling the statement misleading, he said the BJP has a “hidden history” on the issue which needs to be exposed.

Accusing the ruling party of deliberately delaying the process in the name of consultations, Saikia said the prolonged inaction has led to widespread frustration and disappointment among people belonging to the six communities. He alleged that by delaying the matter, the government has violated constitutional provisions.

Pointing to procedural lapses, Saikia said no comprehensive survey has ever been conducted on communities that were granted Scheduled Tribe status in 1950, questioning the government’s selective arguments against extending the same status to new groups. He also underlined that no state government has the authority to take a unilateral decision on tribal status.

Tracing the history of the demand, Saikia said the Congress first initiated the process in 1996 by sending a proposal to the Centre seeking inclusion of the Koch Rajbongshi community under the ST category. He added that later, a bill on granting tribal status to the six communities was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Saikia further alleged that ministerial committees formed by the Assam government since 2016 have completely ignored the recommendations of the Amar Ray Pradhan Committee. He recalled that the BJP had promised during the 2014 elections to grant tribal status within six months, a commitment that remains unfulfilled even after a decade.

Highlighting Congress initiatives, Saikia said the Congress government adopted a formal proposal on tribal status in 2005 and, in 2014, an all-party delegation led by the Congress approached the Centre on the issue. He also pointed out that the BJP’s 2014 Vision Document explicitly promised ST status for the six communities.

Rejecting the Chief Minister’s argument that granting ST status to new communities would adversely affect existing tribal groups, Saikia said the claim reflects only the Chief Minister’s personal opinion and lacks constitutional basis.

He further alleged that despite introducing bills in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in 2019 to fulfil the promise, the BJP failed to follow through, using the sensitive issue merely for electoral advantage. Saikia termed this approach a “political strategy” and an “insensitive attitude” towards the aspirations of the six communities.

Saikia also claimed that on January 28, 2019, representatives of the six communities were called for a meeting and advised to accept OBC benefits instead of Scheduled Tribe status, which, he said, exposed the government’s lack of sincerity.

Concluding his remarks, Saikia said the Congress has consistently raised the issue in a substantive and sincere manner whenever it had the opportunity. He further alleged that during the anti-CAA movement, the tribal status issue was selectively raised to prevent the six communities from joining the agitation, underscoring what he described as the BJP’s opportunistic politics.

Also Read: 'Guilty Must Face Punishment, Not Just Jail,’ Debabrata Saikia on Zubeen Garg Probe