Assam Accord: Govt frames terms of reference over Clause 6

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday framed the terms of reference for a high-level committee over Clause 6 of historic Assam Accord. All the 13 members had its first meeting at Home Ministry. Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy was also present in the meeting.

New Delhi: After more than three decades, terms of reference for a high-level committee over Clause 6 of the historic Assam Accord has been framed on Wednesday.

Clause 6 of the Accord that was signed in 1985, after years-long Assam agitation against foreigners, ensures constitutional safeguards to the indigenous people of the state.

All the 13 members had its first meeting at Home Ministry. Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy was also present in the meeting.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Samujjal Bhattacharya, chief advisor of All Assam Students Union (AASU) said, "It was a preliminary and fruitful meeting. The foundation has been laid. We have told in the meeting that the clause of the Assam Accord should not be diluted or violated while initiating the talks."

Assam had initiated the Assam agitation in the late 70s and it was the major signatory of the Assam Accord in 1985.

Bhattacharya said that the recommendations of the GK Pillai committee and a report presented in the Assam Assembly by a former speaker should be considered.

"We have outlined that in this Clause 6 there should be seats reserved for indigenous people in Assembly, local bodies and Parliament. There should be reservation in government jobs and at the same time there should be exclusive land right for the indigenous people of Assam," said Bhattacharya.

He said that the inclusion of a member from the tribal community of Assam in the high powered committee has also been emphasised.

The Union Home Ministry in a notification on July 15 has constituted the high powered committee with 13 members including Satyendra Garg, joint secretary (NE) in the Home Ministry.

"All the members were present at the meeting. In today's meeting, mainly terms of reference were discussed. We have a mandate to submit the report to the Government in the next six months," said Garg.

The high-level committee which has intellectuals, academia, writers from Assam will have to submit its report by January 15, 2020.

The committee will have discussions with various stakeholders including social organisations, legal and constitutional experts, eminent persons from the field of art, culture and literature, conservationist, economists, linguists and sociologists.

The committee will also suggest measures to be taken to protect Assamese and other indigenous languages of Assam.