Guwahati: With Union Home Minister Amit Shah set to visit Assam on March 14, 2025, the Koch-Rajbongshi community has once again raised its long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
On March 8, leaders of the Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilita Joutha Mancha, a coalition of 12 organizations, submitted a 15-point memorandum to BJP’s Assam unit president Dilip Saikia. Their key demands include ST status, revival of the historic Kamatapur State, and the formation of a Chilarai Regiment in the armed forces to honor their legendary warrior.
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The Koch-Rajbongshis, one of the largest communities in western Assam and northern West Bengal, are among six ethnic groups-alongside Adivasis, Ahoms, Chutias, Mataks, and Morans—seeking ST status for decades. Currently classified as OBCs, they argue that ST recognition would provide them with better opportunities in education, employment, and political representation.
The Mancha has urged the BJP to facilitate a tripartite meeting with the Centre and State governments by April 30, 2025, warning of protests if their concerns are ignored ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
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The demand for ST status has faced strong opposition from Assam’s existing tribal communities, who fear it would erode their rights and representation. In 2011, the Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), representing 10 existing ST tribes, strongly objected, calling the move a threat to their educational and economic future.
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“These six communities are educationally and economically advanced, and their inclusion in the ST list will push the existing tribes into further marginalization,” the CCTOA stated, highlighting concerns over land rights, reservation benefits, and political dominance.
The Registrar General of India (RGI) has rejected the ST demand eight times between 1981 and 2006. In 1996, the Centre granted ST status to the Koch-Rajbongshis for six months, but it was revoked after protests erupted when the community dominated reserved seats in medical and engineering colleges, sparking concerns over unfair advantages.
With Amit Shah’s visit nearing, the issue has gained fresh momentum, placing the BJP under pressure to address the demands ahead of the upcoming elections.