Guwahati: Koch Rajbanshi organizations swarmed the Circuit House to lobby the government. They handed a memorandum to Assam Guardian Minister Ashok Singhal. The groups want Scheduled Tribe status for their people. They demand formal recognition for the Rajbanshi language. Leaders from the Koch Rajbanshi Sahitya Sabha, Koch Rajbanshi Lekhika Sabha, and the Koch Rajbanshi Students' Association led the push.
Dwijendra Nath Bhakat, president of the Koch Rajbanshi Sahitya Sabha, grilled the government on its progress. The community wants to know if the state sent its report on their ST status to the Centre. They are tired of the silence. Bhakat told reporters: "Our primary demand was the granting of ST status to the Koch Rajbanshi community and clarity on the status of the report submitted by the Assam government in this regard."
The groups have a long list of requirements. They want the new Dhubri-Phulbari bridge named after Maharaja Biswa Singha or Maharaja Parikshit Narayan to honor their history. They cited ancient forts built by these rulers as proof of their legacy. They also insisted that the ongoing Census correctly label their community and record their language as Rajbanshi.
The activists urged the Assam government to push for Rajbanshi's inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. They want the Cabinet and Assembly to back the proposal before sending it to Delhi. Bhakat pointed to West Bengal, where local leaders have already started promoting the tongue. He argued that Assam should follow suit. Other notable figures at the meeting included AKRSU president Shyam Koch, general secretary Nimai Chandra Roy, working president Raghu Ranjan Bepari, UG AKRSU president Ratul Roy, and vice-president Bipul Chandra Adhikari.
Updated at 14th August 2026 at 2:00pm
The groups want to know exactly why the bureaucratic gears stalled after the state finished its initial report. They are pushing for answers on why the process remains stuck in limbo despite the earlier groundwork laid by the government.
Activists also pressed for granular details during the Census. They demanded that authorities guarantee the community is logged as Koch Rajbanshi and their tongue marked as Rajbanshi to ensure accurate demographic counting.
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