A CORRESPONDENT
ORANG: The All Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union (ACRSU) on Saturday staged a massive show of strength in Udalguri, warning of a statewide agitation if the Koch-Rajbongshi community is not granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status before the 2026 Assembly election.
Addressing the ‘Gon Hungkar’ (Mass Warning) programme at the Bishnu Rabha Cultural Auditorium, ACRSU Udalguri District President Mintu Barua and General Secretary Ratan Deka alleged that fresh attempts were underway to derail the ST status demand for Assam’s six communities as the election nears. They accused ‘a powerful lobby’ of conspiring to keep the Koch-Rajbongshi community deprived of its constitutional rights.
The union reiterated its key demands of ST status for Koch-Rajbongshis, re-establishment of Kamatapur State, land rights within the BTC region, and tribal protection status in BTC. The leaders cautioned that failure to meet these demands would invite ‘direct political consequences’ for the ruling BJP.
“If ST status is not granted before the 2026 polls, the BJP must be prepared to face the outcome,” ACRSU warned, adding that the party could even be barred from entering Koch-Rajbongshi dominated areas.
The organization also condemned the government’s approach towards peace talks with the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), objecting to the house confinement of KLO chief Jiban Singha while discussions with other groups continue with ‘full courtesy.’
Thousands of Koch-Rajbongshi people from across the district joined the protest, raising slogans such as ‘BJP Go Back,’ ‘No ST, No Rest,’ ‘We Want Kamatapur,’ and ‘Grant ST Status Now.’ The protest site resonated with chants invoking community icons Chilarai and Naranarayan.
ACRSU reminded that the BJP, since 2014, had repeatedly deferred the ST decision despite promising to grant the status within six months of forming the government in Assam. The union asserted that the community met all eligibility criteria for tribal recognition.
With the state government scheduled to submit its report on ST status for six communities on November 25, ACRSU said that any unfavourable outcome would have a ‘direct and decisive impact’ on the upcoming 2026 Assembly election.
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