Moran Community of Assam, History, Language and Culture

Context: Organisations representing the Moran community in Assam have intensified their push for recognition as a Scheduled Tribe.

About Moran Community

• Distribution: Indigenous tribes of Assam are mainly found in Upper Assam — Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sivasagar.
• History: led the Moamoria Rebellion (1769–1805) against the Ahoms.
• Language & Culture: Earlier spoke The Moran language (related to Dimasa); now largely use Assamese.
• Livelihoods: Dependent on agriculture, fishing, and forest resources along the Brahmaputra valley.

Process of Granting ST Status in India

Constitutional Basis:

• Defined under Article 366(25) – “Scheduled Tribes” are those communities notified under Article 342.
• Article 342(1): The President, after consultation with the Governor of the State/UT concerned, notifies tribes or tribal communities as ST.
• Article 342(2): Only Parliament can include or exclude a community from the ST list by law.

Criteria (not in the Constitution but evolved by the Government/committees)

• Primitive traits / distinctive culture.
• Geographical isolation.
• Shyness of contact with the community at large.
• Backwardness (social and economic).

Procedure

• The proposal originates from the concerned State/UT Government.
• Sent to Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) → examined with the Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
• If cleared, the proposal goes to the Cabinet Committee.
• Finally, a Bill is introduced in Parliament → amendment to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
• After passage, the President notifies the inclusion.

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