Guwahati, Sep 8 (IANS): The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Sunday said that the Assam Accord must be fully implemented, adding there were expectations that the state government would take up a proactive role in the matter.
The influential student body's latest remarks came after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that 52 out of 67 recommendations that were given by the high-level committee led by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma regarding clause 6 implementation of the Assam Accord will be in place before April 15, 2025.
Samujjal Bhattacharya, the chief advisor of AASU, said on Sunday: "We want the Assam Accord to be fully implemented. AASU was one of the signatories of the accord in 1985, and so we will keep a close vigil for its proper implementation."
He stated that some of the recommendations of the clause 6 panel led by Justice (Retired) Biplab Kumar Sarma can be fulfilled by the state government and the rest fall under the jurisdiction of the central government.
"The high-level committee was set up by the Central government. Now, the Assam government must put pressure on the Centre to immediately implement the recommendations of the Sarma committee. Moreover, both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier promised to the people of the state to fulfill clause 6 of the Assam Accord," Bhattacharya said.
Notably, the clause 6 panel led by Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma suggested that, as a stopgap measure, the post-1971 stream of proclaimed foreigners should be placed in locations outside Assam until their expulsion is finished. Additionally, the panel also gave the definition of "Assamese".
The committee mentioned that a number of constitutional and parliamentary reforms will be required in order to fully implement its recommendations. It was stated that the current Article 371-B of the Constitution will need to be changed.
The Assam Accord, signed following a six-year foreigners' agitation (1979–1985), stipulates that all foreigners entering the state after March 24, 1971, will be deported regardless of their religious affiliation.
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord states that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards will be provided to protect the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.