Ruling BJP in Assam caught in ST quagmire ahead of polls

Organisations representing six ethnic communities, have once again hit streets demanding fulfillment of BJP's promise.

Guwahati: Scheduled Tribe (ST) or no ST? The ruling BJP in poll-bound Assam is caught in a quagmire over its pre-poll pormise for fulfilling the long demand for ST status to six more ethnic communities.

With the Assembly elections slated early next year, organisations representing the six ethnic communities such as Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi and "tea tribes," considered BJP's vote bank, have once again hit the streets demanding fulfillment of BJP's promise.

On the other hand, a co-ordination committee of organisations representing the 14 existing ST communities too have hit the streets opposing government's move towards according ST status to the six more ethnic communities. 

On Monday, two separate massive protests were staged: one at Udalguri in North Assam by the Santhal community seeking ST and another at Sonapur in the outskirts of Guwahati by ST groups opposing the same.

"The six communities had voted for BJP as it promised to fulfill our long demand for ST status. BJP won the elections one after another since 2014. But the government did nothing to fulfill the demand. This time, we want the BJP to fulfill the promise before the elections because they forget us after coming to power," said Daniel Murmu, a Santhal Students' Union member. The six communities says STs would push welfare through reservations in jobs, education, scholarships and other special schemes. 

Organisations representing the six communities have also started protests separately in the past one month increasing worry for BJP and its allies.

The Co-ordination Committee of the Tribal Organisations in Assam claimed that inclusion of new communities as STs could hamper their welfare by curtailing the benefits they are getting as tribals.

"Tribal communities managed to progress in some fields due to the reservations in jobs and education only. The tribals across Assam have still remained backward and they needs such benefits. But if more communities are included, the the benefits of the tribals will reduce and thereby hamper their progress," a leader of Assam Tribal Sangha, said.

Bodo, Karbi, Rabha, Sonowal Kochari, Mishing and Tiwa are some of the STs at present.  

Politics over the issue

The growing protests over the issue has left the ruling BJP worried as the ethnic communities including the tea garden workers have been the saffron party's vote bank. Like before elections in the past, BJP is once again trying to project the Bengali-speaking Muslims as a threat to the ethnic communities in order to protect its vote bank. Himanta Biswa Sarma government is also announcing special benefits such as seats in medical colleges for the communities as it gets on campaign mood for the polls.

But a BJP leader told DH that the matter now has become like a "two-edged sword" with the party fearing backlash over any decision.

"The demand for the STs have remained unfulfilled as the six communities does not fulfill most of the criteria for inclusion as STs. So our government is preparing a fresh proposal to be submitted to the Centre," he said.

As the protests over the issue grows, the Opposition Congress have started harping on it. But Murmu said, "The ethnic communities voted Congress out as it failed to fulfill the promise for ST. But if BJP also does not fulfill its promise, the party will be defeated this time." 

The ethnic communities are deciding factors in more than 80 (out of 126) Assembly seats.