Bhupen Sarmah
WHILE the tribal belts and blocks were envisaged by the government of Assam immediately after independence as an effective mechanism to protect land – especially for various tribal communities of the Brahmaputra Valley – the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution was framed for the administration of the hill tribes of erstwhile Assam. Between 1947 and 1989, a total of 47 tribal belts and blocks were constituted in Assam, covering 3,980 villages, to safeguard the bona fide land rights of plain tribal communities during the process of land settlement.
The constitutional provision under the Sixth Schedule, though based on a unique model of asymmetric federalism, grants legislative, judicial, and executive autonomy to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). These councils are empowered to enact laws on various transferred subjects, including land, forest management, and the interpretation of customary laws of tribal communities.
Although the concept of ADCs was initially confined to Assam’s hill districts, the prolonged and violent identity movement of the Bodos led to a constitutional amendment to establish an autonomous council to fulfill their political aspirations. Consequently, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was formed in 2003, covering four newly created districts grouped as the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD). Today, the Sixth Schedule areas in Assam include two autonomous councils for the hill districts – Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao – alongside the unique BTC for the Bodos.
After systematically shutting down nearly two dozen public sector industries in Assam, the current BJP-led state government decided to pursue industrialisation in partnership with corporate houses, especially following the mega event Advantage Assam 2.0 in February 2025. The first major initiative was a 1,000 MW solar power project linked to the Ambani group, reportedly requiring 6,000 acres of land in Karbi Anglong and funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Such a large land allotment would have displaced nearly 20,000 people from various tribal communities. However, amidst strong local resistance, the ADB decided to withdraw its $ 434.25 million loan, and therefore, the project has apparently been cancelled.
The next similar move was the allocation of more than 1,134 acres of land in the Parbatjhora sub-division of Kokrajhar district to the Adani Group for a 3,200 MW thermal power plant, in partnership with the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited. As part of its Rs 50,000 crore investment in Assam, the Adani Group intended to invest Rs 20,000 crore in this project. However, it faced massive resistance from local tribal communities, who feared eviction from their villages. Implementation of the project has, for the time being, been postponed in view of the forthcoming BTC elections.
Another similar episode in Dima Hasao district drew the attention of the Gauhati High Court. In 2024, a total of 3,000 bighas of land (over 667 acres) was allotted by the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (Dima Hasao district) to a Kolkata-based private company, Mahabal Cement Private Limited, for the installation of a cement plant. The same company had subsequently signed an MoU with the Assam government for an investment of Rs 11,000 crore following Advantage Assam 2.0.
Regarding the allotment of 3,000 bighas for the cement plant, the Gauhati High Court recently heard two petitions. The first, filed by the company itself, sought protection from disturbances caused by local residents, while the second was filed by a group of locals alleging eviction from their land due to the plant’s installation. During the hearing, the High Court, referring to the size of the allotted land as “extraordinary,” directed the Standing Counsel of the Autonomous Council to provide records detailing the policy for allotting such a large plot of land to a private company in a Sixth Schedule district.
All three episodes of land grabbibg by corporate houses, facilitated by the BJP government in Assam and the tribal elites controlling the respective Autonomous Councils, violate the basic ethos of the Sixth Schedule. The process is likely to continue, as the Tata Group has reportedly signed an MoU with the Assam government to invest Rs 30,000 crore in developing renewable energy projects totaling up to 5,000 MW. To facilitate this project, the government of Assam is tasked with identifying and allocating at least 20,000 acres of encumbrance-free government land and, if necessary, acquiring private land.
This may explain the logic behind recent inhumane eviction drives in various parts of Assam, often carried out under the pretext of removing “suspected Bangladeshis.”
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