Tai Ahoms protest in Sivasagar over ST tag

Dibrugarh: Hundreds of members from the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad, Assam (TAYPA) took to the streets of Sivasagar town on Tuesday, protesting the long delay in granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to their community.
Demonstrators, carrying placards and banners and chanting slogans against the Centre and Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda, marched from Muktanath Chariali.
When they encountered strong barricades erected by the police, strategically positioned to prevent demonstrators from approaching the DC's office, a tense standoff ensued with significant pushing and pulling from both sides as protesters attempted to breach the security barrier.
The Tai Ahom community is among six ethnic groups in Assam, including Mottocks, Koch Rajbongshis, Sooteas, Morans and Tea Tribes, awaiting ST status, a promise repeatedly made by BJP since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Currently classified as OBCs, these communities have been pivotal in bolstering the BJP's electoral success in Assam based on assurances of ST status. However, the delay in fulfilling this promise has sparked widespread frustration.
"We have been waiting patiently for ten years for the BJP govt to fulfill its promise of granting our community the ST status. Our people are tired of empty assurances and false promises. Even PM Modi had promised us ST status during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign," TAYPA leader Bijoy Rajkonwar said.