With Assam on the cusp of crucial state elections, a long-simmering demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status has erupted into a full-blown political confrontation. The state government's recent recommendation to grant ST recognition to six major communities has been met with a firm "rejection" from existing tribal groups, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle over rights, representation, and reservation.
The Core of the Conflict: A New Framework for Inclusion
In November 2025, an Assam government-appointed Group of Ministers (GoM) tabled an interim report in the state Assembly. The report found "full justification" for including the six communities—Tai Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi, and the Tea Tribes or Adivasis—in the ST list. These groups, currently listed under the state's Other Backward Classes (OBC) with a 27% quota, collectively number around one crore people, constituting nearly a third of Assam's 3.12 crore population (2011 Census).
To accommodate this massive demographic shift without disturbing existing structures, the GoM proposed a novel "three-tier classification." Beyond the current categories of ST (Plains) and ST (Hills), a new ST (Valley) category would be created for the larger communities: Ahoms, Chutias, Tea Tribes, and Koch Rajbongshis (excluding those in undivided Goalpara). The smaller Moran and Motok communities, along with Koch Rajbonghis in parts of Goalpara, would be included in the ST (Plains) list.
The report assured that existing quotas for ST(P) and ST(H) would "remain fully protected" for state government jobs and education. It suggested that a "proportionate share" for the new ST(V) category could be deducted from the 27% OBC reservation pool. For central government reservations, however, all communities would compete under a common national ST pool.
Political Representation: The Heart of the Opposition
Despite these assurances, the proposal has been vehemently opposed by Assam's existing Scheduled Tribes. The resistance is coordinated by the Coordinating Committee of Tribal Organisation of Assam (CCTOA). After forming a consultative group to examine the GoM's recommendations, the CCTOA formally rejected the proposal in a letter to Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu on Tuesday, January 8, 2026.
The opposition's core argument centers on political power and representation. Currently, Assam has 19 of its 126 Assembly seats and 2 of its 14 Lok Sabha constituencies reserved for ST candidates. The consultative committee's report alleges that the demand of the six "advanced and populous" communities is driven primarily by a desire for political reservation—for seats in Panchayats, Autonomous Councils, and the State Legislative Assembly—which is not available under the OBC quota.
"The granting of ST status will destroy the political reservation of the existing Scheduled Tribes… The State of Assam must not disempower and destroy the existing Scheduled Tribes," the committee's report states. Existing ST communities, who numbered around 38.8 lakh (12.4% of the population) in 2011, fear being politically overwhelmed by the inclusion of a much larger population.
Constitutional Complexities and Election-Year Calculus
The GoM report acknowledges the need for constitutional amendments to manage the political fallout. It recommends that the Lok Sabha constituencies covering Sixth Schedule areas—Kokrajhar and Diphu—be permanently reserved for existing ST(P) and ST(H) respectively. It also states that additional parliamentary seats would need to be reserved for the proposed ST(V) category, given the large number of new people recognized as STs.
The CCTOA's consultative group also challenges the very eligibility of the six communities, particularly the Tai Ahoms, who "ruled Assam for six hundred years." They argue these groups do not fulfil the criteria for ST status, which includes indications of primitive traits, distinctive culture, and geographical isolation.
As Assam moves towards elections, the government's attempt to walk a tightrope between accommodating a major electoral bloc (the six communities) and protecting the rights of a core constituency (existing STs) has ignited one of the state's most heated political debates. The outcome will have profound implications for Assam's social fabric and political map for decades to come.
