Narendra Modi may turn Assam into a tribal state

The long standing demand of six communities of Assam seeking ST status got a further push as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the committee, which was formed in February to recommend the modalities for granting of ST status to these communities, to file its report by May 31.

Following the Union Government's decision on May 24 to grant ST status to the Karbis living in the plains and Bodos living in the two hill districts of Assam, the leaders of six communities have demanded that the prime minister expedites the fulfillment of his promise made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. During his campaign, Modi had announced that his government would grant ST status to Ahom, Moran, Matak, tea tribe, Chutia and Koch-Rajbongshi communities.

BJP STRATEGY TO PROTECT ASSAM?

Though this demand had the approval of the previous Congress government in the state, the then UPA government sat over the proposal. In 2004, the Assam assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to press the Centre to include these communities in the state's ST list.

During the recent state election campaign, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi repeatedly reminded Modi of his promise. This BJP government's move is also seen as strategy to protect Assam from the demographic onslaught from Bangladesh.

TRIBAL POPULATION

According to 2011 Census, the ST population of Assam stands at 3.9 million. Fourteen communities currently enjoy ST status in the plains districts; 15 in the autonomous hill districts. If claims by the leaders from these communities are to be believed, the state has 4.5 million tea tribes, 2 million Ahoms, 6.9 million Koch Rajbongshis and 2 million Moran, Motak and Chutiyas. Assam has a population of 31.1 million.

SIGNIFICANCE OF GAINING ST STATUS

If these six communities get ST status, over 50 per cent of Assam's population will belong to ST and the state will be officially declared a tribal state. It will also mean that nearly 80 assembly constituencies of a total of 126 will be reserved for tribal. This is significant as in a state with 34 per cent population, a party like AIUDF, which draws its support mostly from immigrant Muslim population, will become politically irrelevant.

SEATS IN ASSEMBLY

Currently, 15 of the state's 126 assembly seats are reserved for STs. Four of these are in Karbi tribe-dominated Karbi Anglong district, one in Dimasa-tribe dominated Dima Hasao district and three in Upper Assam, mostly represented by the Mising tribe. Six constituencies are in Bodoland autonomous districts while Rabha tribe mostly captures the remaining seat.

Interestingly, three of these six communities were rulers in the state. The Chutias ruled eastern Assam in the 13th-16th centuries with their capital at Sadiya. The Ahoms ruled for nearly six centuries until 1826; the Koch-Rajbangshis for about 400 years in the western part of Assam.

THREAT TO EXISTING TRIBAL GROUPS

The existing ST communities are strongly opposed to this move as they fear that these six communities, which are intellectually and economically, better off will walk away with the advantages of reservation in education and employment. There is also strong reservation among caste Hindu Assamese, Bengali, Bihari and Marwari communities, as they fear political marginalization. In fact, Kalitas, one of the socially and economically progressive castes of Assam, has started demanding ST status much like the Patidars in Gujarat demanding SC status.