Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Friday accused the BJP-led governments at both the Centre and the state of intentionally dragging their feet on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam, claiming the delay is driven by political calculations.
Reacting to recent statements by the Chief Minister on tribal matters and developments in Karbi Anglong, Saikia said the issue was briefly raised during the closing days of the recent Assembly session. However, he alleged that the opposition was sidelined, even though a ministerial group had already submitted its report on November 29.
Saikia criticised the Chief Minister’s assertion that no political party or organisation is pushing for ST status ahead of elections, calling it an attempt to mislead the public. He claimed the BJP has consistently prolonged the process under the guise of consultations, creating frustration among the affected communities and undermining constitutional commitments.
He also rejected the government’s claim that more studies are required, stating that all essential ethnographic and administrative exercises were completed years ago. Questioning the selective emphasis on surveys, Saikia noted that several communities were granted ST status in the past without such extensive procedures.
Highlighting the historical background, Saikia said the Congress began formal efforts in the mid-1990s by moving proposals to include communities such as the Koch Rajbongshi under the ST category. He pointed out that subsequent recommendations by a Parliamentary committee, followed by a state Cabinet proposal and an all-party delegation to the Centre, reflected broad political consensus on the issue.
Saikia further alleged that the BJP failed to honour its own commitments made before coming to power in 2014, including assurances of resolving the ST status issue within a fixed timeframe. He claimed that recommendations of expert panels were ignored and that legislation introduced in Parliament was allowed to lapse without serious follow-up.
On the situation in Karbi Anglong, Saikia accused the Assam government of violating Sixth Schedule safeguards through selective eviction drives and questionable land allocation policies. He also questioned the continued delay in installing a statue of freedom fighter Chukapha at the Assam Secretariat, calling it symbolic of the government’s misplaced priorities.
