Assam Government to Withdraw Foreigner Tribunal Cases: The Assam government will withdraw cases against members of the Koch-Rajbongshi community pending in Foreigners Tribunals. This will benefit at least 28,000 people.
Removal of “D Voter” Tags: The government will consider removing “D voter (doubtful voter)” tags from the voters’ lists of affected Koch-Rajbongshi individuals.
Reasoning: Many of these cases involve individuals with surnames common within the Koch-Rajbongshi community who have had to prove their Indian citizenship.
Koch-Rajbongshi Identity: The Koch-Rajbongshi community is an indigenous ethnic group primarily residing in Assam, West Bengal, and Meghalaya, comprising the Koch and Rajbongshi groups.
parts of Assam, Bengal, and Bihar. The Rajbongshis were originally part of the Koch dynasty but developed a distinct identity.
Demand for ST Status: The community is seeking recognition as a Scheduled Tribe in Assam and other states for access to government welfare and legal protections.
Current Status: The Koch-Rajbongshi community is currently recognized as Other Backward Class (OBC) in Assam.
