Hundreds of members of the Kalita community gathered in Nalbari on Sunday, demanding that the Assam government grant them Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule. The protest, organised by the Kalita Janagosthi Sanmilan, marked one of the largest community-led demonstrations in recent months, drawing participants from several districts of Lower Assam.
The rally began at the Government Higher Secondary School playground in Nalbari and moved through the town’s main streets. Protesters carried banners and placards with messages like “Land for Kalitas, Justice for Kalitas” and “Education is Our Right.” The air was filled with slogans calling for equality and recognition, as community members, students, social workers, and senior citizens joined the peaceful march.
According to organisers, the protest was not politically driven but aimed at highlighting the long-standing grievances of the Kalita community, particularly concerning land ownership, education, and representation in government policies. 
Addressing the gathering, leaders of the Kalita Janagosthi Sanmilan said that their movement is rooted in decades of struggle for recognition. “We have waited patiently for many years. Our demand is simple — equal opportunity, protection of our land, and access to education for our youth,” one of the speakers said. They warned that if the state government did not take timely action, the agitation would soon spread across Assam.
The protest came a day after the community formally submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 25, urging the government to take immediate steps toward granting the Kalita community Scheduled Tribe status. The memorandum, addressed through the Chief Minister’s Office, detailed the history of the community’s appeals and the continued absence of government response.
The Sanmilan’s leaders reminded that the community had earlier placed its demand before the President of India in 1988, followed by detailed submissions to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in 2015. In 2016, community representatives also met senior government officials, including then Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to push forward their case. Despite these multiple representations, they alleged that the Assam government had not yet formed the expert committee needed to review their claim and submit recommendations.
