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🔥 What Actually Happened:
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On September 26, in Sadiya (Tinsukia district, Assam) — thousands of protestors from the Tai Ahom community and other local tribes came out at night holding bamboo torches — a symbolic way of saying “we’ve had enough.”
They were shouting anti-BJP slogans like “No ST, no rest!”
Their main demand: ST (Scheduled Tribe) status — reservation rights in jobs and education that the BJP promised for years but never delivered.
🎓 Students Leading the Charge
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It’s not just elders and activists — students are at the forefront. From the Tai Ahom, Moran, and Adivasi/Tea Tribes, youth have been organizing, mobilizing, and risking arrests to make their voices heard.
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All Tai Ahom Students’ Union: coordinating night marches, holding torches, and creating social media campaigns to spread awareness.
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All Moran Students’ Union: staging sit-ins and hunger strikes, making it clear that loyalty to past political promises has run out.
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All Adivasi Students’ Association: leading peaceful rallies and educational drives, emphasizing that constitutional rights > charity handouts.
These students aren’t just shouting slogans — they’re challenging decades of neglect and turning streets into classrooms of civic action. Their message is loud and simple: “We will not wait any longer — our future, education, and rights are non-negotiable.”
All Tai Ahom Students’ Union: coordinating night marches, holding torches, and creating social media campaigns to spread awareness.
All Moran Students’ Union: staging sit-ins and hunger strikes, making it clear that loyalty to past political promises has run out.
All Adivasi Students’ Association: leading peaceful rallies and educational drives, emphasizing that constitutional rights > charity handouts.
⚙️ Background You Need to Know
There are six major communities demanding ST status:
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Tai Ahom
If all six are recognized as ST, half of Assam’s population could technically become “tribal.” That would completely shift political power and land ownership dynamics — and that’s exactly why the government’s scared.
💣 Why They’re Mad at BJP
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2014–2019: Modi and BJP leaders promised ST inclusion multiple times.
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2016 Assam Election Manifesto: Said it’d happen in a “strict time-bound manner.”
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2019: Home Ministry announced a Bill was “coming soon.” It never did.
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2021 & 2024: New promises. Still zero action.
Now, those same communities feel betrayed — used for votes, dumped after elections.
Why BJP Is Hesitant
If these communities get ST status, Assam’s CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (a non-tribal Brahmin) could lose political legitimacy in a state where tribal identity becomes dominant.
It would also mess with BJP’s Hindu vs. Muslim narrative, since ST recognition is about indigenous identity, not religion.
So instead of delivering on promises, they’re offering symbolic gestures and welfare crumbs to keep people calm.
🗣️ What Protesters Are Saying
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Milan Buragohain (President, All Tai Ahom Students’ Union):
“They talk about protecting our jati, mati, bheti (community, land, home) — but they’ve done nothing.”
Polindra Borah (All Moran Students’ Union):
“We’ve been loyal voters. They betrayed us. No more blind trust.”
Amarjyoti Surin (All Adivasi Students’ Association):
“They promised us ST status, gave us free rice instead. We don’t need charity — we need constitutional rights.”
🧩 The Bigger Political Picture
Roughly 49% of these six communities voted for BJP in earlier elections.
Now that faith is cracking — hard.
Analysts say BJP might try damage control through partial welfare schemes or new local councils.
But if these communities unite before the 2026 elections, the BJP’s entire northeastern base could be seriously shaken.
💀 The Bottom Line
This isn’t just about ST status — it’s about trust, representation, and respect.
The BJP turned “protecting indigenous rights” into a slogan, but never delivered the substance.
Now, Assam’s people are back on the streets — with torches in hand, both literally and politically.
And this time, they’re not asking. They’re warning.
🔥 The Final Word
The students and youth of Assam aren’t just protesting — they’re redefining courage. With torches in hand and voices loud, they’re demanding what’s theirs: ST status, rights, and respect.
This isn’t about charity or slogans. It’s about justice, representation, and trust. The BJP can offer crumbs, promises, or symbolic gestures — but these communities know their power now.
So here’s the question for you:
Should governments honor promises to indigenous communities, or keep letting politics override people?
Drop your thoughts 👇 — this isn’t just Assam’s fight, it’s a lesson for all of us.
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