Nagaon Hosts Key Meet on Koch-Rajbongshi ST Status

Nagaon: In a significant political and cultural development, the Central Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union convened a high-level brainstorming session at the Pensioners’ Bhawan in Nagaon, focusing on the long-pending demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six indigenous communities of Assam, including the Koch-Rajbongshi.

The high-level brainstorming session was convened by the union at the Pensioners’ Bhawan in collaboration with several Koch-Rajbongshi organisations from across the state. The meeting was presided over by Union president Paresh Chandra Deka, while General Secretary Ratul Kumar Rajbongshi presented the introductory address.

Prominent intellectuals, community leaders, and representatives of various Koch-Rajbongshi bodies attended the deliberations. Discussions mainly centred on the Assam government's November report regarding the proposed ST status, which the leaders acerbically criticised.

Addressing the media after the meeting, community leaders stated that the government report was merely an "eyewash" intended to politically appease the communities ahead of elections. They termed the move an "empty assurance" and insisted on concrete action rather than declarations. "We want a clear Bill tabled in the Assam Assembly before the 2026 elections," the leaders asserted.

Furthermore, the meeting also expressed apprehension over the attempts to divide the Koch-Rajbongshis of undivided Goalpara from other districts. Leaders called for unity and alerted the people to be aware of such divisive strategies. They warned the community that further delays and deceptions would invite a strong political response in the 2026 polls.

The leaders urged unity and announced the formation of a Joint Platform comprising the Central and All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Students' Unions, Koch-Rajbongshi Citizens' Forum, Koch-Rajbongshi Women's Association, and other allied organisations, thereby reaffirming the slogan “No ST, No Vote.”

Several key resolutions were adopted during the meeting. These include holding a joint convention on January 4, 2026, in Nagaon to finalise the future roadmap of the ST movement and organising a massive rally in mid-January, culminating in a grand demonstration on January 26, 2026, demanding immediate tabling of the ST Bill. The leaders also renewed their demand for the eviction of non-Assamese settlers from the Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in Karbi Anglong.

Notable attendees included Dhanati Deka, Bipul Saikia, Narendra Narayan Roy, Dipanti Rajbongshi, Shankarjyoti Bora, and Anjan Dutta. The message from Nagaon was loud and clear: no more symbolic promises. The Koch-Rajbongshi community is mobilising for decisive action, demanding justice, recognition, and dignity.

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