‘Assamese’: Indigenous Groups Want More Inclusive Term

 ‘Assamese’: Indigenous Groups Want More Inclusive Term

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam on Thursday met chairman of the high-level committee on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord Justice (Retd) Biplab Kumar Sarma and demanded a change in the term ‘Assamese’ mentioned in the historic Accord.

Clause 6 of the Assam Accord categorically mentioned the word ‘Assamese’. The Clause states: “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”.

A high-level delegation of the Coordination Committee, an umbrella platform of 22 indigenous ethnic organizations led by Aditya Khakhlari, during their meeting with Justice Sarma submitted a memorandum demanding that the term ‘Assamese’ in the Assam Accord should be more inclusive.

“We are of the opinion that the Ministry of Home Affairs should re-notify the terms of reference of the high-level committee on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord by mentioning indigenous tribal, indigenous Assamese and other indigenous people of Assam in place of only ‘Assamese people’,” a member of an indigenous ethnic organization said.

The memorandum has also demanded implementation of Clause 10 of the Assam Accord to evict encroachers from tribal belts and blocks in the State.

The Coordination Committee has demanded that the State Government must adopt a tribal language policy to protect the languages spoken by various ethnic groups from being extinction.

Besides other demands the memorandum also has sought solutions of Bodo & Karbi issue, inclusion of Mising, Tiwa, Rabha, Sonowal Kachari, Thengal Kachari and Deori Autonomous Councils in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and creation of autonomous councils for Bodo-Kachari, Hajong, Mech, Madahi and Sarania Kachari people.

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