The high-level committee constituted by the Union Home Ministry has finalised its report on suggestions to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which promises safeguards to “Assamese people”.

The committee has suggested that 1951 should be the cut-off year for defining the indigenous people of Assam, two-third seats in the Assam Assembly should be reserved for the indigenous people and introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to control the movement of people from outside the state, as per several media reports.

The 13-member panel, headed by Justice (Retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma, has finalised its report last week. The panel sought an appointment with Home Minister Amit Shah. The report is expected to be submitted this week itself. After the committee’s report, the Centre may come out soon with a report defining who is an Assamese.

In January 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government had notified a high-level committee for implementation of the Clause 6.

The Union Home Ministry reconstituted the High-Level Committee on July 16th, 2019 to suggest how to implement Clause 6. 

Clause 6 of the Assam Accord promises constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the “Assamese” people.

The Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement.

It was signed in the presence of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in New Delhi on August 15th, 1985 after a six-year-long agitation started in 1979. The demand of the agitators was to identify and deport all illegal foreigners – predominantly Bangladeshi immigrants.

Photo: Time8