Assam Accord: High-Powered Committee Ready with Report to Implement Clause 6

Guwahati, February 10, 2020:

The high-powered Committee formed to implement the Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord is ready with its report, informed former Gauhati High Court judge Biplab Kumar Sarma.

Talking to Inside Northeast, Sarma, the Chairman of the committee, informed that the committee is ready with its recommendations to implement Clause 6. "We are ready with the report. The deadline had been extended til February 15, and now, all that is left for us to do is finalize the formalities and submit the report to the Centre.."

ALSO READ: Paresh Baruah must Cooperate with Govt for Assam’s Development, Says CM Sonowal

Addressing mediapersons earlier today at the Administrative Staff College in Guwahati's Khanapara, Sarma had informed the media, "I am pleased to inform you that the recommendation is complete. After such a long time – initially we were given 6 months, and it was extended by 1 month."

https://www.facebook.com/ne.inside/videos/196129465109896/

Sarma says that the next step is to decide how to hand over the recommendation. "Till tomorrow, we will decide whether to hand the report over in Guwahati or in New Delhi..."

Sarma said that the recommendation took a long time to formulate as several stakeholders, including indigenous organizations, had to be consulted, and added that the Clause 6 lays the blueprint for safeguarding Assamese identity. “In the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, it is given in detail how to give Constitutional safeguards to the Assamese people. How to safeguard their cultural life..”

ALSO READ: Assam: Uniformed Men Plant Gun in Anti-CAA Leader’s House, ‘Secret Killing’ Murmurs Arise

The retired Justice also informed that many communities and tribes have been consulted and after much took and deliberation, the report has finally been formulated to ascertain the rights of the 'Assamese'.

“A question in giving this Constitutional safeguards, the question that arises is that who are the Assamese", he said, adding that the definition of 'Assamese' will also included in the committee's report.

The Chairman of the committee also informed that all the people of the State have been taken into consideration during the process of formulating the recommendation.

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), one of the key signatories of the historic Assam Accord, was also consulted during the process of filing the recommendation, and is, in fact, a part of the panel.

Chief adviser of Assam’s apex student body, Samujjal Bahattacharya said, “The (high-powered) committee, after consulting with several indigenous bodies as well as people of Assam, has given the recommendation”, and added that the Clause 6 had been promised because the State had been burdened with Hindu-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries. Bhattacharya also informed that now, the recommendation has to be forwarded to the Centre, and after it is submitted, the people will be intimated about the details.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.