Implementation of Core Assam Accord Clauses Stuck in Time Warp: AASU

* Dispur, Delhi failing to implement clauses in 33 years is an unpardonable crime: Samujjal

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 13: As if the Assam Accord is stuck in a time warp, the government has a long way to go in implementing most of the core clauses of the Accord even after 33 years of its signing. The accord is going to complete 33 years on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

The Accord (read as Memorandum of Settlement) was signed among the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) led by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta as the president, All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), the Assam Government and the Government of India in the mid-night of August 14, 1985. Unfortunately, even after 33 years, none of the core clauses of the Accord like providing constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the State, sealing the Assam sector of the international border, etc has been implemented as yet.

AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said: “The Accord has completed 33 years, but not a single of its core clauses has been implemented as yet. Deletion of foreigners’ names from the voters list is still a major issue. Sealing of the Assam sector of the international border with Bangladesh is far from being a reality. Around 100 km of the State’s international border with Bangladesh has not been demarcated as yet. Clause 10 of the Accord speaks of making tribal belts and blocks of the State encroachment free.

Rather, more such belts and blocks have come under encroachment during the past 33 years. Another clause of the Accord speaks of reopening of Ashok Paper Mill. That is far from being a reality.” Talking to The Sentinel, AASU adviser-in-chief Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said: “Dispur and Delhi failing to seal the international border with Bangladesh, providing constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of Assam, etc in the past 33 years are unpardonable crimes on their part. During this period governments just came and went without doing anything precious for the implementation of the historic Accord. Clause 6 of the Accord speaks of Constitutional, Legislative and Administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. The bitter truth remains that even the definition of the phrase ‘Assamese people’ has not been finalized as yet. The NRC update is also happening only because of intervention by the Supreme Court of India.”