Keep ST classification free of ‘political manipulation’, raise quota, demands Left-affiliated tribal body
The Left-affiliated Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has issued a charter of demands regarding Scheduled Tribe (ST) rights, including increased reservations and protection against political manipulation of classification criteria. The group explicitly opposes efforts by other organizations to introduce religious criteria for ST status, which they argue would unfairly exclude converted tribal members.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing political tension in India regarding the definition of tribal identity and the potential for religious-based exclusion in affirmative action policies.
A resolution was passed at the national convention of the Left-affiliated Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) in New Delhi on Sunday (September 6, 2026), outlining a charter of demands on the rights of Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities on resources, education, employment, and culture. The demands ranged from increasing the reservation percentage for ST communities and introducing reservations in the private sector to including Adivasi languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and making the criteria for ST classification immune to “political manipulation”.
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