Form panel on Clause 6 as decided:All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) to Centre

GUWAHATI: The AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) has demanded the Centre to form a tripartite committee to suggest the government on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. This clause of the Accord holds the key for constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the State.

This demand has its origin in the April 2017 tripartite talks involving Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and all the three top leaders of the AASU, besides top officials of the Centre and Dispur. The meeting did take the decision to form a tripartite committee to suggest the government on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. It was decided at the meeting that the committee would comprise three members each from the AASU, the Centre and the State Government. However, one-and-a-half years have already elapsed, but the government has not formed the committee as yet. And this has made the students’ body raise the demand and put pressure on the Centre.

Talking to The Sentinel on the issue, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said: “The future of the indigenous people of Assam will be secured only if they are provided constitutional safeguard as spelt out in Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. However, ever since the singing of the Assam Accord, this crucial clause of the Accord has been being neglected by the successive governments at the Centre and in the State. After the April 2017 tripartite talks, we did feel that this government at the Centre would do something tangible for providing constitutional safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam. However, they’ve betrayed us again. Now we want the Centre to form the tripartite committee immediately so as to ensure constitutional safeguard to the local people of Assam.”

During the last tripartite talks, Union Home Minister did say that ‘the spirit of the Assam Accord signed in 1985 would not be allowed to get diluted’.