Assam tribal bodies hold rally against inclusion of new communities in ST list
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Photo: Scroll.in
26 tribal organisations in Assam staged a rally near Guwahati on Monday to oppose what they believe is a government plan to add new communities to the Scheduled Tribes list, according to The Telegraph.
The demonstration, held at the Sonapur Mini Stadium, was organised by the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organisation of Assam and drew participants from 14 communities already recognised as Scheduled Tribes in the state.
These included the Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, Rabha, Mising, Sonowal Kachari, and Thengal Kachari groups, among others.
As The Telegraph reported, the rally coincided with protests by six other communities, Moran, Muttock, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, and Adivasi (tea tribes), who have been demanding inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list.
The report noted that before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured these six groups that they would be granted Scheduled Tribe status within 100 days of the BJP coming to power, Scroll.in reported.
Aditya Khaklari, chief coordinator of the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organisation of Assam, reportedly warned that the inclusion of new groups could undermine the rights and benefits of the communities already recognised as Scheduled Tribes.
The report also mentioned that after the 2023–24 delimitation exercise, the number of Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes in Assam rose from 16 to 19.