A roadmap has been prepared for the implementation of 52 recommendations of a panel concerning Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, according to the President of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU). These recommendations come from the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee, which was formed to suggest measures for implementing Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord.
The Assam Accord, signed in 1985 by the Central Government, the Government of Assam, AASU, and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad, aimed to address illegal immigration from Bangladesh and to safeguard the rights of the indigenous Assamese people. Clause 6 of the accord is particularly significant as it promises constitutional, legislative, and administrative safeguards to protect the cultural, social, and linguistic identity of the Assamese people.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs formed the high-level committee in 2019, under the leadership of retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma, to formulate recommendations for implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The committee submitted its report in February 2020, which included 67 specific recommendations aimed at addressing the long-standing demands of the indigenous Assamese population for legal and constitutional protection.
The current government has decided to implement 52 of the 67 recommendations made by the committee. These 52 recommendations fall under the state's jurisdiction and were discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Out of the 52 recommendations, 40 fall entirely under the purview of the Assam government, while 12 require coordination between the state and central governments. AASU President Utpal Sharma said that the talks focused on the "doable parts" that the state government can implement independently.
AASU has proposed a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation process. The Chief Minister has assured AASU that tripartite talks involving the Centre, State, and AASU will be held before January 31 regarding the 15 recommendations that fall under the Central Government. Furthermore, a new Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the Accord Implementation Minister, will be formed to regularly monitor the progress. The Chief Minister has assured that a cabinet subcommittee for monitoring the implementation of these 52 recommendations will be constituted very soon and will be notified about that along with all the recommendations.
AASU had suggested to the Chief Minister that a cabinet subcommittee should be set up to review and monitor the implementation of all 52 mutually agreed recommendations. The committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of the Assam accord implementation minister, with the inclusion of the chief secretary of Assam.
The government also committed to tabling both the government-prepared Tiwari Commission Report and the citizen-centric Mehta Commission Report in the State Assembly for a comprehensive discussion on the controversial 1983 elections.
These discussions represent the latest efforts to address the long-standing demands regarding the protection of indigenous Assamese identity, a contentious issue that has shaped the state's political landscape for decades. The implementation of Clause VI of the Assam Accord is viewed as a crucial step towards fulfilling the promises made to the people of Assam and safeguarding the future of the indigenous population in the state.
