To address the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, the administration of that state met with representatives of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Wednesday. The clause has not been put into effect for decades, despite its intended protection of Assamese indigenous communities under the constitution.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presided over the meeting and outlined its main objectives.
The CM stated, “Today, we engaged with AASU on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The Justice (Retd) Biplab Sarma committee had previously submitted a report on this matter, and today we analysed what recommendations can be implemented by the state government. Notably, these recommendations will not be implemented in the Barak Valley and areas under Schedule 6 without their consent. Additionally, we have requested the Centre to engage with AASU regarding the provisions under their jurisdiction.”
Provisions for the governance of tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram are included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The people of Assam have been requesting constitutional and legal rights for the past forty years, according to AASU President Utpal Sarma, who was speaking on behalf of the student body.
“Today, there was a meeting with the Government of Assam, and we have agreed on the path forward. Out of the 67 recommendations, 39 fall under the state government, 12 are under the joint jurisdiction of the state and central governments, and 16 are under the central government. We have decided that the state government will implement its recommendations by next April, and an action plan will be developed in coordination with AASU… Regarding the 16 recommendations that fall under the Centre, we concluded that a tripartite discussion involving the state government, AASU, and the central government should take place,” CM stated.
The gathering is a major step towards addressing the long-standing concerns of the indigenous groups of Assam, which include the protection, preservation, and promotion of their cultural, social, and linguistic identity and history. By April of next year, these recommendations—especially the ones under the state government—should start to be put into practice.
It is anticipated that the Assam administration and AASU will work closely together on the action plan, and that the proposed tripartite negotiations with the central government will be essential to the effective execution of the remaining suggestions.
The action plan will be drafted by the time of the second meeting with AASU, according to Chief Minister Sarma, which is scheduled for October 25.