Assam: Tribal Bodies Oppose ST Status with Special Reservations for Tai Ahoms

GUWAHATI: Assamese tribal organisations are opposed to the state government's plan to grant the Tai Ahom community Schedule Tribe (ST) status with a special reservation without harming the rights and interests of the current ST communities.

One of the most important electoral pledges made by the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was to grant Tai Ahom, along with five other ethnic groups, the ST category. These communities included Koch Rajbongshi, Matak, Chutia, Moran, and Adivasi.

In order to discuss the topic of granting the state's Tai Ahoms ST classification, ATASU chief Milan Buragohain was present at a meeting called by the state administration on Tuesday at the Assam Administrative Staff College.

Ranoj Pegu, a minister for tribal affairs, and Pijush Hazarika, a minister for legislative affairs, presided over the meeting.

“As desired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) and All Tai Ahom Students Union (ATASU) and other Tai Ahom organizations sat in a discussion at AASC, Guwahati. Cabinet colleague Pijush Hazarika and I observed the meeting to find an amicable solution to the demand for ST status to the Tai Ahom without affecting the rights & interests of the existing ST communities,” Pegu tweeted after the meeting.

The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisation of Assam (CCTOA), however, rejected the Tai Ahoms' request for ST classification and instead argued for changing the Indian Constitution to grant the group OBC (Other Backward Class) status, which would grant them the greatest amount of privileges and political reservation.

Speaking in the meeting, CCTOA secretary general Aditya Khakhlary made note of the fact that 1.6% of the overall population is made up of members of the Meena tribe, who were recognised as a ST group in 1954. However, since 1954, they have been receiving 30% to 35% of the ST-specific perks offered by UPSC. Meenas of Rajasthan and Tai Ahoms of Assam will compete on a national level if Tai Ahoms are awarded ST status, but the currently recognised STs will have no place to compete.

 “No separate reservation can be created for STs within STs under the Constitution of India. For access to jobs and education offered by Centrally-funded institutions, the grant of ST status to Tai Ahom will be serious and visible negative effects on all the STs of the Northeast and mainland India.”, he added.

Sukumar Basumatary, the president of CCTOA, and Aditya Khakhlary, the secretary general, were in attendance.

The meeting was attended by the president of the All Tai Ahom Students Union (ATASU), Milan Buragohain, as well as the presidents of the Tai Ahom Jatiya Parishad, Dayandanda Borgohain, and Raj Kumar Chetia, as well as the presidents of the Tai Ahom Yuva Chatra Parishad, Dilip Gogoi, and Bijay Rajkonwar (another faction).

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