Bodo’s Torchlight March Opposes Assam’s ST Decision

KOKRAJHAR- Thousands of tribal students and youth marched through Kokrajhar town on Thursday evening in a massive torchlight procession protesting the Assam cabinet’s recent decision to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six additional communities.

Organised by the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in association with several allied tribal organisations, the rally began at the ABSU office in Ward No. 7 and moved through the main streets of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) headquarters before concluding near the Bodoland University gate.

Participants carried flaming torches and held banners with messages such as “No dilution of tribal rights,” “Protect constitutional safeguards of existing STs,” and “Withdraw anti-tribal decision.” Chants of “Jai Bodo, Jai Adivasi” and “Rollback the cabinet decision” filled the air throughout the march.

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Addressing the gathering, ABSU president Dipen Boro warned that extending ST status to the six communities—Matak, Moran, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai-Ahom and Adivasi/Tea-garden community—without adequate safeguards would undermine the rights and protections currently available to existing tribal groups in Assam.

“This is a direct assault on the hard-won rights of the Bodo and other indigenous tribes of Assam. We will not remain silent while our future is compromised,” Boro said, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

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The rally came just a day after violent protests broke out at Bodoland University, where students clashed with police, prompting the indefinite postponement of semester examinations. Several students were injured during the police lathi-charge, and internet services remain suspended across Kokrajhar district as a precautionary measure.

Leaders from the Bodo National Students Union (BNSU), Peoples’ Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) and various tribal women’s organisations also addressed the crowd, warning that the agitation would intensify if the state government failed to reconsider the decision.

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Heavy security deployment was visible across Kokrajhar, with additional forces stationed near government offices and the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Despite the tense atmosphere, the torchlight procession concluded peacefully late in the night.

The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) leadership has so far refrained from issuing an official statement, though sources indicate ongoing consultations with the state government in Dispur to seek a resolution. With tribal groups threatening a large-scale bandh and indefinite economic blockade, tension continues to grip the Bodoland Territorial Region.