Clause-VI report of Assam Accord submitted to CM Sarbananda Sonowal

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The high-level committee on the implementation of Clause-VI of Assam Accord submitted its report to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the latter’s residence at Kharghuli here on Tuesday. The Chief Minister received the sealed report on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Barring three leaders of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), majority members of the committee headed by Justice (retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma were present at the event. Sonowal accepted the report in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues. The much-awaited report consists of 141 pages.

The Union Home Ministry (MHA) constituted the high-powered committee in July 15, 2019, for the implementation of Clause-VI of the historic Assam Accord.

Clause-VI envisages Constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to safeguard, protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

“Everyone knows that nothing happened in the last 34 years to implement Clause-VI. We had received 1,200 memoranda giving suggestions to implement the Clause. The committee members went to various places in the State to meet people to elicit their opinions. Under the terms and conditions of the committee set up by the Home Ministry, we considered various Constitutional and cultural aspects. We unanimously prepared the report,” Justice Sharma told reporters here after submitting the report.

Justice Sharma added that the Home Ministry’s notification allowed the high-powered to include any issue (not mentioned in terms and references of the committee) that it deems fit for effective implementation of the Clause-VI. He said that the committee in its report has offered its recommendations on the issues of land rights, culture, reservation of jobs, reservation of seats in assembly and parliament.

“We have tried to cover everything that comes within the ambit of Clause-VI and the terms and conditions of the committee, in the report. We have submitted the report in good faith and hope. We hope that the report will yield fruitful results,” Justice Sharma said.

He said the Centre will definitely look into various Constitutional aspects and verdicts of the Supreme Court before acting on the report. “We sincerely hope that the government will do the needful,” he said.

On the issue of definition of Assamese and the Constitutional safeguards to Assamese people, Justice Sharma said the committee after considering various angles and aspects associated with the issue has given its recommendations with a cut-off date in the report. He said since the report has been submitted to Chief Minister in a sealed packet it will not be proper to disclose anything at this moment.

Asked as to why Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not accept the report, Justice Sharma said it is not important who accepts the report. He said effective implementation of the report holds more importance.

On the AASU leaders’ absence, Justice Sharma said they might have skipped the event due to their reservation on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act. “They might have other reasons also. But they had informed us about their absence,” he said.

Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that even though the Chief Minister has accepted the report on behalf of the Home Minister, the Centre will study and examine the report. He said that commenting on the report would be premature until the Centre minutely examines it and seeks the views of the State government.

“The State government has not been given any copy of the sealed report that will be submitted to the Centre today (Tuesday) evening or tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Without seeing the report, it will be difficult to say if the government will accept the recommendations in entirety. We have to see if there is a recommendation that is against an order of the Supreme Court or Constitution,” Sarma said.

Sarma said the Centre is very keen on implementing the recommendations provided they were within the ambit of the Constitution. “The committee’s recommendations were perhaps within the Constitution and law. It will be possible for the State Government to comment on the report only in case the Centre seeks its view,” he said.

On the issue of definition of ‘Assamese’, Sarma said the issue has to be discussed in the Assam Assembly. “The definition cannot be final till the Assembly accords its seal of approval. Whatever definition the high-level committee has recommended in its report, the Centre will have to get back to the Assam Assembly for approval,” the Finance Minister said.

The high-level committee completed and signed the report on February 10. The term of the committee ended on February 15.

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