Thousands from the Tai-Ahom community took to the streets on Tuesday evening in a dramatic torchlight procession, intensifying their long-standing demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

The protest, spearheaded by the Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad, Assam (TAYPA) and the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU), saw demonstrators march through Charaideo town chanting “No ST, No Rest.”

Addressing the gathering, TAYPA president Diganta Tamuly accused the BJP of betraying the community’s trust. “For over a decade, since 2014, we have waited for the BJP to fulfill its promise. If our demand is ignored, the Tai-Ahoms will boycott the BJP in the 2026 assembly polls,” he declared.

The Tai-Ahom community holds significant electoral influence across Upper Assam districts including Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, and Lakhimpur—making their warning a potential political flashpoint.

Their demand is part of a broader movement, with Moran, Motok, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea-Tribes also pressing for ST recognition. Despite repeated assurances, the issue remains unresolved. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the Group of Ministers’ report on the matter will be tabled in the assembly during the Winter Session beginning November 25.

The Tai-Ahom protest follows a series of similar demonstrations: Tea Tribe workers staged rallies in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh earlier this month, while the Motok community organised a massive torchlight march in Sadiya on September 28.

With multiple communities mobilising, the demand for ST status is rapidly emerging as one of Assam’s most pressing socio-political challenges ahead of the 2026 polls.