CCTOA Urges Assam CM to Withdraw Proposal Granting ST Status to Six Communities

The All Assam Tribal Sangha, Margherita District Unit, along with several tribal organisations under the banner of the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging the Assam Government to reject the proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status to six communities of the state.

In a letter forwarded through the Margherita Co-District Commissioner on Friday, the organisations strongly opposed the move to enlist the communities Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok and Tea Tribes into the ST(P) list, arguing that these groups are “advanced, populous and do not fulfil the constitutional criteria required for ST status.”

Cites Past Rejections by RGI

The memorandum states that the Registrar General of India (RGI) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes have rejected similar proposals multiple times between 1981 and 2006. The letter also highlights a reply given in Parliament on August 14, 2007, by then Union Tribal Affairs Minister P.R. Kyndiah, stating that the proposal had been rejected eight times.

Educational Reservation Disparity Highlighted

Citing statistical records from premier institutions of Assam, the organisations recalled that when the Koch Rajbongshi community was temporarily included in the ST(P) category in 1996, they reportedly occupied a disproportionately large share of reserved seats. In Cotton College, they stated, 24 out of 37 ST(P) seats in Higher Secondary Science were taken by candidates from the temporarily included community, while 13 out of 21 seats in Higher Secondary Arts were also secured by them.

Similarly, at the Undergraduate level in the same institution, the B.Sc. programme had 35 out of 45 seats under ST(P) quota filled by Koch Rajbongshi students, accounting for nearly 78 per cent. In professional courses, the dominance was even more pronounced. According to the memorandum, 33 out of the 42 MBBS seats reserved for ST(P) candidates across medical colleges were taken by members of the community, while 17 out of 21 seats in Bachelor of Engineering at Assam Engineering College were also occupied by them.

At the Assam Ayurvedic College, representatives claimed that all 8 seats reserved for ST(P) students in the MAMS course were filled by Koch Rajbongshi candidates, indicating a complete sweep of the quota.

Fear of Being Overwhelmed

According to the Tribal Sangha, inclusion of these six communities could leave genuine ST(P) groups “overwhelmed and deprived of constitutional protections”, given their comparatively smaller population and weaker socio-economic status.

They also expressed apprehension that the issue may be part of the ongoing peace negotiations with the ULFA (pro-talk) faction.

Demands Placed Before CM

The organisations placed three major demands:

1. Reject the proposal for granting ST(P) status to the six communities.

2. Ensure consultations with existing ST(P) groups before taking any policy decision affecting their rights.

3. Freeze the ST(P) list permanently, and increase the reservation percentage based on the latest census, since five more tribes have been added post-2001.

The memorandum was signed by Lambudhar Hazarika, President of the All Assam Tribal Sangha (Margherita District Unit), along with Bhupen Sonowal, General Secretary of AATS Margherita District Unit; Ajay Doley, General Secretary of TMPK Tinsukia District; Jakham Singpho, General Secretary of the Pan-Singpho Students’ Union; Putul Rabha, Central Member of the All Rabha Students’ Union; and Lichan Tangsa, President of the Tangsa Students’ Union.

Also Read: Moran: Tai Ahoms Demand ST Status Ahead of 2026 Elections