ST Status To 6 Communities: Centre Says Assam Govt Committees Gave No Report

The BJP-led governments at both the Centre and in Assam stand exposed once again over the long-pending issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities of Assam. Despite repeated promises, no tangible progress has been made, a fact that became evident during a Lok Sabha session on Thursday, when Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, clarified that not a single report has been submitted by the state’s ministerial committees on the matter till date.

Responding to questions raised by Congress MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, Minister Durgadas Uikey stated that although a Bill proposing ST status for the six communities, Moran, Motok, Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Chutia, and Tea Tribes, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2019, no committee formed by the Assam government has submitted the required report to the Centre. This revelation has sparked widespread political backlash and renewed allegations of betrayal against the BJP.

Uikey informed the Parliament that the Assam government had constituted a ministerial sub-committee following instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019, and that two such committees were formed thereafter. However, none of them has submitted any final report to the central government, confirming suspicions that the process is being deliberately stalled.

He further revealed that the Assam government most recently reconstituted the ministerial committee on March 1, 2025, with instructions to submit recommendations that would ensure the rights of existing Scheduled Tribes were not harmed by the inclusion of new communities. Still, as of now, no report has been received by the central government, making it impossible for the ST status process to move forward.

When asked whether the Centre has set any timeline for granting ST status to the six communities, the Union Minister dodged the question, providing no clear deadline. 

Opposition leaders allege that the BJP is using the tribal status issue only as a political tool to woo voters and cross the electoral finish line, without any intention of delivering justice. 

The government’s admission in Parliament that no reports have been submitted, despite forming multiple committees, reinforces the perception of a deliberate political deception, which has left lakhs of ST community members feeling betrayed and disillusioned.

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