Tai Ahom ST status protest turns tense near Assembly; ATASU leaders detained
Protesters vow intensified agitation across Upper Assam if detained leaders aren’t released ‘unconditionally’
Guwahati, June 14: Demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Tai Ahom community, members of the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU) staged a protest near the Assam Legislative Assembly on Saturday.
Tension flared as protesters attempted to march towards the Assembly in a symbolic attempt to gherao it but were stopped by security personnel.
Carrying the flags of the Union, scores of demonstrators shouted slogans urging the government to act on their long-pending demand.
Several protesters, including ATASU President Milan Burhagohain and General Secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Borgohain, were detained by Assam Police during the protest.
ATASU leaders were detained by the police following the protests (Photo: Chao Shashanka Dihingia/ Facebook)
“Today’s protest was to gherao the Assembly over the ST demand. The police have detained many of our members, including our president and general secretary,” said one protester at the site.
ATASU working president Shashanka Dihingia condemned the police action and warned of escalated agitation.
“We demand the unconditional release of our leaders. Otherwise, protests will intensify across Upper Assam,” he said.
The Tai Ahom community, along with five other communities, has been demanding ST status for years, citing historical, cultural and ethnolinguistic grounds.
Throughout 2025, ATASU and allied organisations have organised multiple rallies and sit-ins across the state to highlight their demand.
Earlier in January, a similar protest was held near Janata Bhawan, where community members demanded ST status for six communities in Assam, including the Tai Ahoms.
On the central front, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, on June 4, had told The Assam Tribune that the Registrar General of India (RGI) is currently reviewing the proposal and providing recommendations regarding the inclusion of new communities in the ST list.
The demand for ST status is not limited to the Tai Ahom community. Five other communities—Moran, Matak, Chutia, Adivasi (Tea Tribes), and Koch Rajbongshis—have been fighting for the same recognition.
The issue was also raised in Parliament during the 2025 Budget session after the Centre received a proposal from the Assam government to include these six communities under the ST category.