Assam's Unyielding Cry: Koch, Rajbanshi, and Moran Communities Rally for ST Status Amid Police Action and Media Silence
In early September 2025, thousands of students from Assam's Koch, Rajbanshi, and Moran communities took to the streets in Tinsukia and Dhubri, demanding long-promised Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and greater autonomy. Their protests, marked by torchlight processions and a district-wide bandh, were met with police lathi-charges, leaving many injured and sparking outrage. Despite decades of unfulfilled government promises and a conspicuous silence from mainstream media, the resolve of these indigenous groups remains unshaken. With Prime Minister Modi's visit looming, the call for ST status, a separate Kamatapur state, and Sixth Schedule inclusion grows louder, exposing deep-seated frustrations and a broader national pattern of suppressing youth dissent.