What is the issue?

•  In the politics of Assam, the Koch-Rajbongshi community along with five other communities, namely Tai-Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia, and Adivasi is demanding the Scheduled Tribe status.

 What is the background of the issue?

•  Originally, the Koch-Rajbongshi community are a tribe, but due to lack of recognition they are not identified as a tribe.
• The lack of recognition is due to a paucity of proper evidence of their original tribal identity.
• It has been argued by a section that “Koch” and “Rajbongshi” are different from each other while another section of people argues that these two constitute a single community.

 What are the different perspectives?

•  Assimilation without conversion: As per E Gait’s observation, it could be said that the confusion regarding their identity has emerged due to the process of their conversion to Hinduism.
• Others argue that there was no conversion, but an assimilation which was not voluntary, but was like Sanskritisation as defined by M N Srinivas .
• The Koch-Rajbongshis were considered as a lower caste and discriminated against by the upper-caste Bengalis.
• To get rid of this social discrimination, they started practising Brahminical rituals.

 What is meant by ‘Scheduled Tribe’ status?

•  According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, those communities having the characteristics namely, primitive traits, distinctive culture, shyness of contact with other communities at large, geographical isolation, and backwardness can be considered as ST.

 Are the demands of the tribes justified?

•  First, their spiritual god is different from that of Hindus and has resemblance to nature-worship. Eg: the rites of the tiger deity, Sona Ray, reflect the coexistence of humans and animals.
• Their shyness of contact with other communities is due to their distinct Rajbongshi language.
• Regarding primitive traits, if we look at their daily lifestyle, household items and their way of food gathering, then we may see that they still possess some primitive traits.
• This distinctiveness of their identity makes their demand for the ST status authentic.

 What are the benefits of ST status?

•  If the community acquires the ST status, they will be entitled to their original identity as “tribes.”
• Their rights over their native land will be protected from outsiders.
• Their right to contest elections from their own constituency will be preserved.
• There will be reservation in educational institutions, employment, etc.

 What are the obstacles?

• The existing tribes fear that granting ST status to these communities will deprive them of their rights and pose a threat to their identity.
• Another problem is that if they are included in the list of STs, then the present reserved quota (10% for plains and 5% for hills) will be overcrowded as the population of these six communities is more than half of the total population of Assam.

 What is the possible solution?

•  If the GOI moves forward with the mindset of changing the existing modalities to grant ST status to the six communities, then the aspiration of the six communities for getting ST status will be fulfilled.
• On the other hand, it will not harm the existing STs.
• Nevertheless, these are complex issues which necessitate an alternative way to grant ST status to these communities.