Assam: Tai Ahom Community Threatens BJP Boycott Over Delayed ST Status Promise

Moran: Thousands of Tai Ahom community members took to the streets of Moran town in Dibrugarh, Assam, in a powerful torchlight procession, demanding immediate Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for their community.

Organised by prominent Tai Ahom bodies, including the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad, Assam (TAYPA) and the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU), the rally saw participants marching with flaming torches while chanting “No ST, No Rest,” signalling growing frustration with the ruling BJP.

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The protest underscores escalating tensions over a decade-long unfulfilled election promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to grant ST status to six Assam communities: Tai Ahoms, Mottocks, Koch Rajbongshis, Chutias, Morans, and Tea Tribes.

TAYPA president Diganta Tamuly issued a direct warning to the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections: “Since 2014, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP has repeatedly assured us of ST status. This prolonged delay is nothing short of betrayal. If our demand is not met soon, the Tai Ahom community will completely boycott the BJP in the upcoming polls and ensure they face serious political consequences.”

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The Tai Ahoms, descendants of the historic Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for six centuries, hold significant electoral sway in upper Assam, particularly in key districts like Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, and Lakhimpur. Political observers emphasise that the community’s support is crucial in several Assembly constituencies.