“A Never-Before-Seen, Confusing Mechanism”—Gogoi Attacks Govt’s Tribal Categorisation Move

Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi on Thursday staged a protest outside the Assam Legislative Assembly, reiterating his demand for the immediate granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the state’s six communities.

Addressing reporters during the protest, Gogoi accused the state government of creating a “never-before-seen and confusing mechanism” in the name of tribal classification. He alleged that ahead of the upcoming elections, the government was “offering japi instead of real solutions” and misleading communities with hollow promises.

Gogoi criticised the government for suggesting that people from Goalpara might also be included in the proposed tribal framework and mocked new ideas such as the so-called “Tribal Valley”, which he said has no precedent anywhere in the world.

Referring to constitutional provisions, he said India recognises only two tribal categories—Tribal Plains and Tribal Hills—and accused the government of attempting to create a third, arbitrary category. He claimed that in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD), communities falling under the proposed “Tribal Valley” would not receive land protection rights, raising serious concerns.

The MLA recalled the events of 2019, when he was present in the Rajya Sabha gallery during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (now an Act). He said that on the same day, a bill was passed granting ST status to all plain tribes in Assam after receiving clearance from all departments and the state government.

“Now, after nullifying that bill, they want to bring a new law called Tribal Valley. The bill is still pending in Rajya Sabha, yet they are trying to alter the Constitution,” Gogoi alleged.

He cautioned various organisations not to fall prey to what he termed an “electoral bait.” He stressed that along with the six communities, the Nath-Jogi, Madahi, and Kalita communities must also be accorded ST status.

Going a step further, Gogoi demanded that Assam be declared a “Tribal State”, arguing that only then would people receive the full range of protections and benefits available under provisions like Article 371A in Nagaland. He also insisted that the posts of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister be reserved for tribal communities if the government is serious about empowerment.

Challenging the government directly, Gogoi urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to prove his sincerity by taking bold and concrete steps to fulfill these demands.

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