‘Clause 6 panel of Assam Accord to submit report by January-end’

A CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The high-level committee on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord is all set to submit its report to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) by the end of this month.

The committee members headed by Justice (retd) Biplab Kumar Sarma on Monday called on Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence and discussed some legal angle of the report.

“We were called by the Home Ministry this morning. We discussed some legal points of the report with the Home Minister. We may take few more days to submit the report…hopefully, by the end of this month we will be able to submit the report,” said Sarma after the meeting.

He added that the committee has also worked out the definition of ‘Assamese’. “As the word ‘Assamese’ was used in the terms and conditions it is obvious that not only those people who can speak Assamese will be included but others too will come under this ‘indigenous’ definition.’

He also stated that the committee members have visited Assam to talk with all stakeholders before compiling the report.

In July last year, the MHA had reconstituted the committee with 13 members. Members of the previous committee headed by former Union Tourism Secretary MP Bezbaruah refused to be part of the committee.

The MHA has pointed out that Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

“However, it has been felt that Clause 6 of the Assam Accord has not been fully implemented even almost 35 years after the Accord was signed,” the Home ministry said.

The Committee was given the task to examine the effectiveness of actions since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The Committee was asked to hold discussions with all the stakeholders and assess the required quantum of reservation of seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly and the local bodies for the Assamese people.

The Committee was also asked to assess the requirement of measures to be taken to protect Assamese and other indigenous languages of Assam, the quantum of reservation in employment under Government of Assam and other measures to protect, preserve and promote cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assamese people.

Earlier in the day, reporters were not allowed to enter into Assam Bhawan in New Delhi to talk with the committee members. The North East Media Forum (NEMF) has vehemently criticized the restrictions imposed by the Assam Bhawan administration on the movements of Delhi-based reporters covering Assam.

Also Read: High-level committee meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss Clause 6 of Assam Accord

Also Watch: Torch Relay of 3rd Khelo India Youth Games received by District Administration in Kokrajhar