GUWAHATI
The Congress and Trinamool Congress on Thursday (September 5, 2024) said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was misguiding the people of Assam on the implementation of the touchy Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord.
The Chief Minister on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) said the Cabinet decided to implement 57 of the 67 recommendations made by a high-powered committee headed by retired judge Biplab Kumar Sarma to give shape to Clause 6. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted the panel.
“It’s just a political jumla [trickery]. The State government can only send proposals for a matter under the jurisdiction of the Central government,” State Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.
The Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev, who is from southern Assam’s Barak Valley, said the BJP-led government should make all the recommendations of the committee public apart from clarifying how it can do the job of the Centre.
“The committee’s report is not officially made public. It is neither on the website of the MHA nor the Assam government. We cannot rely on a leaked copy,” she said in Guwahati, referring to a copy purportedly in possession of the All Assam Students’ Union, which was a signatory to the Assam Accord.
Clause 6 of the accord says, “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.”
Pointing out that the term ‘Assamese’ has to be defined first before Clause 6 can be implemented, Ms. Dev said the Chief Minister should show the formal approval of acceptance of the panel’s recommendations. “There is nothing in the public domain to say the report has been accepted by the government of India. Why should it be confidential?” she asked.
Published - September 05, 2024 08:54 pm IST
