Assam CM Calls Tribal Groups for Talks Amid ST Status Dispute
Why BJP need more than three terms of rule to fulfil this commitment: Congress
Guwahati: Amid the assurance of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to hold talks with tribal youths opposing the proposal of the state granting scheduled tribe status to six communities, the regional political party, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi, on Monday, questioned the BJP government’s commitment to granting ST status.
Describing the proposal as merely a “political lollipop” to win over the vote of these communities once again, Mr Gogoi said, “If the BJP had been sincere in its approach on granting ST status to six communities, it may have been resolved by now. It's simply a political gimmick of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to deceive people of these six communities for votes in the 2026 assembly polls.”
Mr Gogoi said, “Why BJP need more than three terms of rule to fulfil this commitment of granting ST status to six communities of the state? Let them give a specific timeline to fulfil the commitment.”
As the existing Scheduled Tribes in Assam have opposed the recommendation of the Group of Ministers (GoM) tabled in the state assembly, development Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday night announced that his government is willing to invite those who are protesting against the report on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities to discuss the GoM report recommending tribal status for six communities.
Mr Sarma told reporters, "In today's state cabinet meeting, we reviewed the Group of Ministers' report on granting ST status to six communities, along with the recent developments surrounding the issue. The cabinet is of the view that this report paves the way for extending ST status to the six communities without affecting the rights or interests of the existing ST groups. The cabinet has decided that Ministers Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta, and Pijush Hazarika will meet the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) and explain the report in detail to avoid any misunderstanding. If required, I am also willing to sit with the CCTOA," the chief minister said.
Tensions escalated on Saturday when protesting students stormed the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) secretariat in Kokrajhar, expressing their opposition to the recommendations.
Meanwhile, Assam Congress chief and deputy leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi also stated that the Indian National Congress has supported the claim that the six indigenous communities of Assam must be declared as ST without affecting the rights and privileges of the existing ST communities. He, however, doubted the intention of the BJP government.