GUWAHATI, Nov 27: In a landmark decision, the Assam Cabinet has approved the recommendation of the Group of Ministers (GoM) to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities that have long demanded inclusion. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the communities Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes (Adivasis) will be placed under the ST category, pending approval in the state assembly.
The GoM, comprising Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika, and IT Minister Keshab Mahanta, submitted its findings to the Tribal Affairs Department. The proposal is expected to be tabled before the assembly ahead of the winter session’s conclusion on Saturday.
In another major cultural development, the cabinet also approved the transfer of 99 acres of land from the Handloom, Textiles & Sericulture Department to the Cultural Affairs Department for the establishment of a state-of-the-art museum. The museum will house and celebrate the historic ‘Vrindavani Vastra’, a 16th-century silk textile depicting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna. The artifact — created under the guidance of Assamese icon Srimanta Sankardeva and commissioned by Koch king Nara Narayan — is currently on loan from the British Museum.
The museum project is being supported under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme of JSW I&P Holdings Pvt. Ltd., and aims to boost preservation and global awareness of Assam’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.
