OUR BUREAU
GUWAHATI/KOKRAJHAR/BOKO: The Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) and other tribal bodies like ABSU (All Bodo Students’ Union), AATS (All Assam Tribal Sangha) and the RSU (Rabha Students’ Union) rejected the GoM’s (Group of Ministers) recommendations for according ST status to six ethnic groups of the state. The CCTOA and the ST students of Cotton University burnt copies of the GoM report in Guwahati. The ABSU also burnt copies of the GoM report in Kokrajhar. The Rabha Students’ Union, on the other hand, blocked the National Highway at Kenduguri in Boko, besides burning copies of the GoM report.
Meanwhile, the Kokrajhar District Magistrate issued a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, with immediate effect in the BTC Secretariat Complex and adjoining town areas, following Saturday’s incident inside the BTC Secretariat. The General Administration Department (GAD), BTC, lodged an FIR in the Kokrajhar Police Station yesterday with video footage of the vandalism in the BTC Secretariat on Saturday.
The CCTOA registered its strong protest to the GoM recommendations at the observance of the 78th death anniversary of Jananeta Bhimbar Deori at the Tribal Rest House, Paltan Bazar, in Guwahati today. Leaders of various tribal organizations offered floral tributes at his portrait, followed by a general meeting where the current issues of the tribal people, including ST status for six communities, were elaborately discussed.
The CCTOA demanded a high-level discussion with the State Chief Minister in the presence of GoM members and the Chief Secretary to reconsider the GoM recommendations. If the discussion with the Chief Minister does not yield any fruitful result, all district committees of the CCTOA will burn copies of the GoM in all district headquarters on December 1, 2025, the organization stated.
CCTOA chief coordinator Aditya Khakhlari said, “If the dialogue with the government fails, the organization will intensify its agitation and launch massive statewide protests, including railway blockades and national highway blockades.”
Offering tribute to Bhimbar Deori in Guwahati, ABSU president Dipen Boro said that Deori was the pride of tribal communities and a pioneer of the tribal movement who protected erstwhile Assam from East Pakistan and started movements for land rights, the line system in tribal belts and blocks, and political reservation.
After observing the death anniversary of Bhimbar Deori, the CCTOA burnt copies of the recommendation of the GoM and protested the move to grant ST status to six communities.
Around 200 ST students of Cotton University also burnt copies of the GoM report in front of the university this evening.
Meanwhile, traffic on National Highway 17 came to a standstill for several hours on Sunday as members of the Kamrup District Rabha Students’ Union, supported by several other organizations, staged a blockade at Kenduguri in Boko. The protesters raised slogans against the government, voicing strong opposition to the proposal to grant tribal status to six communities. Demonstrators expressed apprehension that such a move would undermine the rights and privileges of existing tribal groups.
Also read: Assam Cabinet decisions: GoM to invite CCTOA for talks