Kokrajhar: Kamatapur stir on hold till Nov 28 as Assam invites talks

The Kamatapur State Demand Council (Democratic), or KSDC(D), on Wednesday, November 11, called off its protest at Tuniyadanga in Assam's Kokrajhar district and said it will keep its agitation in abeyance until November 28, after the state government invited the group for talks.

According to The Assam Tribune, hundreds of protesters had gathered in the Serfanguri police station area, holding placards reading "No ST, No Rest" as they pressed demands on behalf of the Koch-Rajbongshi community. India Today NE had earlier reported that the group's plan to block National Highway 27 was suspended after the invitation.

What the group wants

The KSDC(D) is seeking three things: Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Koch-Rajbongshi community, a separate Kamatapur state within the constitutional framework, and recognition and protection of the Koch-Rajbongshi language.

Talks with the Chief Minister

The organisation has been invited for discussions with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sources quoted by The Assam Tribune said preliminary discussions have already started at the level of Cabinet ministers and the Kokrajhar district administration has begun arrangements for the meeting. The date and venue have not yet been finalised.

The KSDC(D) said it would wait for the outcome of the dialogue before deciding its next step.

Students' union warns against empty assurances

All Koch-Rajbongshi Students' Union (AKRSU) secretary Boloram Barman welcomed the government's move but warned that the community would not accept talks that end only in assurances. He said the situation could turn more serious if the discussions stayed "confined to the table", and added that the community was united and hoped for a solution.

The Koch-Rajbongshi community is one of six Assam communities, along with the Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and tea tribes, whose demand for ST status has been pending for years. Successive state and central governments have held talks on the issue without a final decision, and the demand remains a major political issue in western Assam.

Koch-Rajbongshi organisations have been mobilising for years over these demands. On November 20, 2025, the AKRSU and other groups held a large rally seeking a peace accord with the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, a separate Kamatapur state and ST status.

NEInsider will update this story when the date for the talks is announced.