According to the "Purana Tradition", the Kalitas are considered as pure Aryans. Though the Aryan descent theories endorse the arrival of the Kalitas "before the rise of the existing professional castes", the Kalitas generally claim to belong to the Kshatriya caste, and call themselves kulalupta, kula meaning caste and lupta meaning gone in the context of the legend that the Kalitas "were Ksatriyas who fled from the wrath of Parasurama who was determined to exterminate the Ksatriyas. But this seems to be a false etymology." The Kalitas in Assam are considered next only to the Brahmins in the caste-hierarchy. According to the legends, they are "the non-Vedic Aryans" who are responsible for bringing Aryan culture to Assam. Having mingled with local population, they still preserve certain elements of Aryan culture even after localising their culture to some extent. Dr. B.S. Guha has found similarities between some surnames of "Alpine Nagar Brahmins" of Gujarat with those of North East India, as referred in the Nidhanpur land grants of Kamarupa King Bhaskaravarman such as Datta, Dhara, Deva, Nandi, Sena, and Vasu, etc. and connects them with the Kalitas of Assam. Again, historian Kanaklal Barua mentions these surnames while referring to the Nidhanpur inscription and says that these surnames "now belong almost exclusively to the Bengali Kayasthas". Few scholars including K.R. Medhi, K.L. Barua, P.C. Choudhuri, M. Neog, B. K. Kakati made speculations by drawing the references of Greek records, words like Kakatiai, Kalaiai, Kaltis, Koudontai, Kudutai, Gurucharitis and few early religious literatures to establish the Kalitas through materials not based on ethnology or anthropology. Some even tried to relate Kalitas to Naraka-Bhagadatta, who were essentially of mongoloid origins.
Social life
Mirroring the history of Assam, the Kalitas were spiritual gurus of Kochs. According to Allen, All the hinduized people except Brahmins were Kalita. Kalitas were also peasants, though during the rule of the Ahom dynasty they also proved their might and capabilities as soldiers, generals, administrators, envoys, and judges. The Ahom paik system surnames of Bora, Hazarika, Saikia, Kakoti, Borkakoty, Barua, Rajkhowa, and Phukan can all be found amongst the Kalitas of Assam, which signify that they served the Ahom monarchy. Bora was the leader of 20 paiks, Saikia that of 100 paiks and Hazarika that of 1000 paiks. The Baruas led 3000 men, similar to the Rajkhowas. Phukans formed the uppermost layers of the Ahom military and judicio-administrative structure, subservient to the Ahom Borphukans and Borbaruas..Certain posts like "Boiragi" or envoys to neighbouring kingdoms such as the Jaintias, the Kacharis, and the Mughal Sultanate in Bengal, were given to Kalitas in preference to Ahoms.
Demand of reservation
Since 1988, the Kalita community has been demanding Scheduled Tribe status. After six tribal groups were granted ST status by the government in 2018 barring the Kalitas, the latter threatened agitation. The All Kalita Students’ Union has demanded 50% reservation in government sector jobs and demanded reservation of 25 MLA seats in Assam,3 in Lok Sabha and 2 in Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.
