Lurinjyoti Gogoi Slams Assam Govt. Over ST Row, Terms It As Election Gimmick

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi on Monday (01/12) questioned the state government’s commitment to granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam, accusing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of politicizing the issue ahead of elections.

Speaking at a press conference, Gogoi said that if there were genuine political will, the matter of ST recognition should have been resolved long ago.

“If Himanta had the strength and responsibility, he would have resolved this issue. But I am certain that Himanta Biswa Sarma will not solve it. This is just political theatrics,” he asserted.

Gogoi described the tribalization debate as an election gimmick, saying the government is using the issue as a “political lollipop” to gain votes. He demanded a clear and definitive response, emphasizing that the Constitution guarantees reserved seats and rights for ST communities.

The issue has roots in the 2019 Assam ST Bill, formally known as the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The bill was introduced to grant ST status to six communities—including Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Chutia, Moran, Matak, and 36 Tea Tribes—but it was never passed into law.

Gogoi said that if the bill had been enacted in 2019, the current controversy could have been avoided. He criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for failing to address the matter substantively and accused him of prioritizing votes over constitutional rights.

The controversy escalated recently following a report by a Group of Ministers (GoM), constituted to examine the demand for ST status by six communities—Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Adivasi—which was tabled in the Assam Assembly on Saturday. The GoM report stated that there is “full justification” for including these communities in the ST list and recommended the creation of a separate ST (Valley) category.

However, existing Scheduled Tribes in Assam have opposed the demand. Tensions escalated on Saturday when protesting students stormed the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) secretariat in Kokrajhar, expressing their discontent over the recommendations.
 

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