Guwahati, Mar 11: Ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, the Assam government has approved the inclusion of 37 tea garden communities in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The move is aimed at advancing social justice and strengthening the rights and welfare of tea garden populations. It also introduces a streamlined dual-certification process to facilitate easier access to OBC certificates and related benefits.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “These communities were earlier categorised as sub-castes. Now they will be given OBC status independently. The Social Welfare Department will issue a notification soon,” he said.
Lakhindra Kurmi, general secretary of the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), said, “It is a good decision and we welcome the Assam government’s move to grant OBC status to the 37 tea garden communities residing in Assam. Earlier, these communities did not have certificates and were treated as various sub-castes, but from now on they will be tagged as OBC.”
Apart from other benefits, these communities will now be able to avail themselves of the benefits under the OBC category.
This decision of the Assam government ahead of the Assembly elections in the state is expected to give a fillip to the government, as tea tribe communities play a dominant role in the elections.
“We welcome the Assam government for granting OBC status to the 37 tea communities. It is a good decision and we are happy about it,” said another ATTSA leader.
The tea tribe community of Assam has long been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. ST status remains a long-pending demand of the tea tribes in Assam.
The tea tribes migrated from Jharkhand during British rule and since then have been living in Assam and are closely associated with the tea industry.
(EOM)
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