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Naba Kumar Sarania and the Co-Opting of Tribal Identity in Assam

The sitting MP's conduct with the ST certificate not only undermines the integrity of the political landscape but also gravely imperils the political aspirations of deprived and marginalised communities.
Naba Kumar Sarania. Photo: X/@Naba_Kr_Sarania

As the filing of nominations ended for the Kokrajhar constituency – reserved for the Scheduled Tribes – on April 19, the incumbent Naba Kumar Sarania found himself in an awkward position.

His nomination was rejected by the Returning Officer (RO). But before that, he had already been declared ineligible to contest by the Gauhati high court for a seat reserved for ST candidates. This situation raises questions about the integrity of the electoral process and the accountability of politicians in adhering to legal requirements.

The Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency, established in 1952, is one of the two out of 14 seats reserved for tribal people in Assam. The other is Diphu.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty

Kokrajhar comprises nine assembly segments spread across three districts: Kokrajhar, Chirang, and Baksa. With a population of over 1.4 million, the constituency is characterised by its diverse demographic composition, including the Bodo community and other ethnic groups.

The 2019 election showcased the competitive nature of the constituency, where independent candidate Naba Kumar Sarania secured victory with 33% of the votes. He was supported by non-Bodo voters. Seasoned Bodo politicians Pramila Brahma of the Bodoland Progressive Front (BPF) and Urkhao Gwra Brahma of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) closely followed, securing 30% and 21% of the votes, respectively.

The constituency holds significance as the epicentre of the Bodoland movement, which witnessed violent conflicts and is now undergoing a gradual process of peace.

Naba Kumar Sarania is a two-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Kokrajhar and a former leader of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). He belongs to the Sarania ethnic group which is not in the state ST list. Originally, the Saranias were a sub-group of the larger Kachari tribal group, but over a period of time they acculturated to the Assamese caste society. In the past, there were efforts by the state government to provide ST certificates to the Saranias but the Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) objected to the order and subsequently the order to issue him with such a certificate was withdrawn

In the public eye, Sarania has faced scrutiny since obtaining an ST(Plains) certificate under the claim of being a Boro-Kachari in 2011. It was said that he had obtained it allegedly through ‘fraudulent’ means. Several organisations and intellectuals had questioned the veracity of his claims regarding his tribal identity.

Despite these controversies, he went on to represent Kokrajhar as its MP for two consecutive terms as an independent candidate. He was aiming for his third consecutive term until the Gauhati high court determined his tribal credentials to be fraudulent, resulting in his disqualification from contesting in any seats reserved for STs.  

‘Divisive politics’

Naba Kumar Sarania’s political career has thrived on divisive tactics, often pitting the Bodos against the non-Bodos (Obodos) and exacerbating identity conflicts in a region already rife with tension.

A brief analysis of PRS data on his tenure in the Lower House of parliament reveals that in his first term, his attendance stood at 79%, slightly below the national average of 80%, and he participated in 22 debates, compared to the national average of 67.1 debates. Additionally, he raised 78 questions, significantly lower than the national average of 293. In his subsequent term, while there was a marginal improvement in his overall performance in terms of attendance and participation in debates, his divisive tactics continued to sow seeds of discord in the region.

Typically, a candidate elected from a tribal constituency is entrusted with representing the people and addressing the issues pertinent to the constituency. Sarania, locals noted, did not quite do that.

However, he has persistently advocated for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam – Tai-Ahoms, Mataks Koch-Rajbongshis, Sutiya (Chutias), Morans, and the tea tribes. Some of these communities do not reside within his constituency. Nevertheless, Sarania has consistently vocalised his support for their inclusion in the ST list, much to the dismay of existing tribal communities, including the Bodos. His failure to consider the implications for existing tribal communities if these groups are granted ST status, particularly regarding employment and educational opportunities, was seen as underscoring a lack of sensitivity towards the concerns of his constituents. 

Sarania notably failed to address issues that truly matter to most of his constituents, such as the alarming rise in land encroachment within tribal belts and blocks. For instance, in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), a staggering 80,000 bighas of land are currently under encroachment, a significant portion of which falls within the boundaries of the Kokrajhar constituency. Sarania’s reluctance to take a firm stance on such matters has bred resentment and frustration among his constituents.

Sarania’s case is not a standalone example of a non-tribal individual exploiting a certificate intended for tribal communities to avail themselves of associated benefits.

Dr Palla Trinadha Rao has comprehensively documented the alarming rise in instances where non-tribals obtained ST certificates to exploit the privileges reserved for tribal communities in terms of employment and education opportunities. Despite efforts by the government of India and various state administrations to curb this practice, the issuance of false caste certificates persists, depriving genuine ST individuals of their constitutional rights. This issue has led to a surge in petitions filed in various high courts, with beneficiaries of fraudulent ST certificates seeking to retain their benefits and activists advocating for the cancellation of counterfeit certificates.

Following the revelation of Sarania’s conduct with the ST certificate, numerous organisations and members of the public, including one of the candidates for the Kokrajhar seat, are urging for Sarania to be penalised and for the privileges he enjoyed during his two terms as an MP to be revoked. The persistence of such incidents not only undermines the integrity of the political landscape but also gravely imperils the political aspirations of deprived and marginalised communities.

Michael Islary is an independent researcher based in Bodoland, Assam. Phungkha Basumatary is a PhD candidate at the School of Development Studies in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

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