Tribal Groups Rally in Sonapur Against ST Status for Six Non-Tribal Communities

Thousands of tribal members under the Coordination Committee for Tribal Organisation and Welfare Association (CCTOWA) held a massive rally in Sonapur on Monday opposing Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six non-tribal communities — Moran, Matak, Ahom, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Adivasi.

Protesters called the move a threat to tribal identity and constitutional rights, warning it would undermine existing tribal privileges. CCTOWA members argued that only culturally and economically backward groups qualify for ST status and cited past misuse of reservations when Koch-Rajbongshis briefly gained the status in 1996.

The demand for inclusion dates back to 2014, when PM Narendra Modi promised to address it. Although the 2019 Scheduled Tribes Amendment Bill approved the proposal, it remains pending. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram recently said the issue is still under serious consideration.