Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the government will reach out to groups protesting the recommendations on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities, inviting them for detailed discussions on the report.
Protests have been under way since Saturday, when the state government tabled the Group of Ministers’ report on the long-standing demand for ST status by the Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes (Adivasi) communities.
The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), which is leading the agitation, says the proposal will harm the interests of existing ST communities.
Sarma, addressing the media after a cabinet meeting, said several objections appear to stem from “misinterpretation” or “lack of clarity” about the contents of the report.
“Some people, especially CCTOA, have not read the report properly but commented on it in the media,” he said.
The chief minister said the cabinet believes the recommendations create a viable pathway to include the six communities without affecting the reservation benefits of current tribal groups.
The report proposes a three-tier classification within the ST category to accommodate the new groups.
To address concerns, Sarma said the three ministers who constituted the GoM — Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika — will invite CCTOA representatives for discussions and explain the report in detail.
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He added that he may also meet the organisation later if required.
Sarma insisted that existing ST communities will not suffer “even a single per cent” loss of benefits.
“Once the three-member committee explains the report, these apprehensions will also go away,” he said.
Responding to opposition criticism, the chief minister said there is still time to send the report to the Centre, and the government is open to “positive suggestions”.
He accused the Congress of taking a U-turn on the issue, saying the party had earlier supported the claims of the six communities.
