Rabha Hasong Demands Sixth Schedule Status at New Delhi Protest

NEW DELHI, Aug 10, 2026 — Representatives and members of the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), alongside the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), the All Rabha Women Council (ARWC), the Sixth Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC), and constituent organisations under the Rabha Hasong Joint Movement Committee (RHJMC) representing 34 indigenous groups, staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar today. The organisations submitted a formal memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, renewing their longstanding demand to grant constitutional status to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

About the Rabha Tribe

The Rabha community is a major indigenous Tibeto-Burman Scheduled Tribe of Assam with a rich linguistic and cultural heritage, traditional weaving practices, and historical matrilineal social structures. The community predominantly inhabits Lower Assam, particularly the districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, and Darrang, with additional populations found across other districts of Assam as well as neighboring Meghalaya and West Bengal. Currently, the community exercises local self-governance under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council.

Demographic Profile and Geographical Context

The RHAC currently governs a democratically elected jurisdiction comprising 779 revenue villages across Goalpara and Kamrup districts within the Guwahati Parliamentary Constituency, encompassing an estimated population of 6.6 lakh people. The leaders emphasized that among the non-Sixth Schedule autonomous councils in the state, RHAC uniquely holds complete geographical contiguity and a defined core area.

Three Decades of Autonomy Struggle

The movement for Rabha autonomy formally began in 1993, culminating in the signing of the Rabha Accord on March 10, 1995, between the Government of Assam and Rabha community organizations. The council was established as an institution of local self-governance to preserve local language and culture while fostering socio-economic development. However, the memorandum highlights that the council could not function effectively in its initial years due to non-elected representatives and a lack of decentralized administrative powers.

Although the 1995 Accord stipulated holding council elections within six months, it took 18 years of sustained democratic struggle before the first formal elections were conducted in 2013 under the then Congress-led state government.

History of Official Recommendations

The push for constitutional inclusion gained momentum following the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Accord in 2003. Highlights of recommendations detailed in the memorandum include:

• In 2005, a ministerial-level sub-committee constituted by the Assam Government examined the proposal and submitted a favorable report, though the recommendation was never forwarded to the Central Government.
• A former Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) visited the RHAC area and subsequently submitted a positive report recommending Sixth Schedule inclusion.
• On February 9, 2024, the Assam Government officially recommended constitutional status under the Sixth Schedule for RHAC, along with the Mising Autonomous Council and Tiwa Autonomous Council, via Letter No. TA(P)-Gen/13/2024-TA(P)-Tribal Affairs (Plain) addressed to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Threats of Demographic Shifts and Inadequate Powers

The memorandum draws attention to severe demographic vulnerabilities facing the region. Historical census records from 1911, 1921, and 1931 indicate continuous influxes of non-indigenous migrants into undivided Goalpara, transforming the RHAC belt into a corridor highly vulnerable to demographic shifts.

Protesting organizations stated that inadequate financial resources and restricted administrative authority currently handicap RHAC from delivering effective grassroots governance. They asserted that granting Sixth Schedule status with enhanced financial and administrative mechanisms remains the only viable constitutional safeguard to protect indigenous identities, heritage, and land rights from ongoing demographic changes.

Unfulfilled Assurances and Delays

Addressing current developments, the memorandum notes that Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma had facilitated a high-level tripartite meeting on December 25, 2025, involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Rabha representatives.

During that meeting, the Union Home Minister had assured the delegation that an interlocutor would be appointed in January 2026 to expedite the Sixth Schedule inclusion process. However, the memorandum points out that despite the passage of over seven months, no interlocutor has been appointed to date.

Primary Demands Presented

Highlighting the core objective of the demonstration, Dr. Subhash Rabha, General Secretary of the All Rabha Students’ Union, urged prompt action from the central leadership, stating that the ruling government must fulfill these longstanding demands at the earliest to ensure constitutional safeguards for their land, forests, and ethnic identity.

The memorandum outlines two primary demands submitted to the Central Government:

1. Sixth Schedule Inclusion: Formally include the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
2. Interlocutor Appointment: Immediately appoint an official interlocutor to fulfill the assurance made during the December 25, 2025 tripartite meeting and fast-track the constitutional process.

Expressing confidence in the NDA leadership, the collective indigenous bodies urged the Prime Minister and Home Minister to take immediate executive and legislative steps to protect the rights, culture, and demographic integrity of the Rabha Hasong region. 

~ BRUCE K. THANGKHAL