Shillong, July 6: The All Tiwa Students’ Union (ATSU), Meghalaya State Committee has urged the state government to accord ST status to Tiwa (Lalung) community.
Addressing a press conference here, the ATSU General Secretary Albert Dilar said the issue has become urgent with the 2027 Census approaching.
According to Albert, the community fears it will once again be left out of official records if the name “Tiwa (Lalung)” is not included before the census process begins.
He said the house-listing and house-numbering exercise for the 2027 census is expected to start in August 2026.
Dilar said the Tiwa community is not part of the ST list in Meghalaya despite being one of the indigenous communities of the state.
He said the exclusion does not reflect the community’s history, culture and traditional roots in Meghalaya.
“ATSU, along with other Tiwa organisations, has been submitting memoranda and representations to both the Meghalaya government and the Centre for more than three decades through peaceful and constitutional means. However, no final decision or satisfactory response has been received”, he said.
The ATSU could not provide the estimate of the Tiwa population in Meghalaya, but it said that proper enumeration of the community in the 2027 census is essential to ensure accurate demographic records.
The ATSU pointed out the historical records of the ancient Gobha kingdom, writings of noted Khasi scholar B. Pakem, historical administrative records showing Tiwa settlements in Ri-Bhoi and adjoining areas, and letters and certificates issued by the Syiem of Hima Khyrim, Dr. Balajied Sing Syiem, recognising the Tiwa community as indigenous to Meghalaya. The union also said Tiwa ancestral lands became part of Meghalaya following the state’s formation in 1972.
ATSU said neither the state government nor the Centre has provided any concrete assurance regarding the demand for Scheduled Tribe recognition.
The union said its demand will not affect the rights or status of existing Scheduled Tribes in Meghalaya but it is aimed at securing constitutional recognition of the Tiwa community’s historical identity and indigenous status.
