Overview
- The Group of Ministers’ interim report proposes a three-tier ST framework with a new ST (Valley) category for Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes.
- The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam argues the plan conflicts with the Lokur Committee criteria and past OBC designations issued in 1993.
- The tribal coalition questions the independence of expert panels set up for the six communities and rejects using their findings to justify reclassification.
- The body says an ethnographic panel advised Scheduled Caste status for 38 of 74 Tea and Ex-Tea Garden communities, yet the state recommended ST status for all 74.
- Demonstrations followed the proposal, including vandalism at the Bodoland Territorial Council secretariat in Kokrajhar, as state ministers met tribal leaders for talks.