Amid mounting pressure from six communities in Assam for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is exploring a “step-by-step” approach of first forwarding recommendations to the Centre in favour of two of them, Moran and Motok, ahead of the Assam polls scheduled for next year.

The six communities seeking ST status are Tai Ahom, tea tribes or Adivasis, Moran, Motok, Chutia, and Koch-Rajbongshi. They are a part of the state’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) list at present, comprising around 27% of its population. Their demand for ST status gathers steam ahead of every state and national election, with Narendra Modi himself raising it while campaigning in Assam before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

With Assembly elections again on the horizon, organisations represent

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