Clause 6 of Assam Accord will be enforced: Govt

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Wednesday reiterated it is committed to the implementation of the 1985 Assam Accord’s Clause 6, which pledges safeguards for the preservation and promotion of Assamese identity and heritage.

The assurance came a day after All Assam Students Union (AASU) made public a high-level committee’s confidential report on the implementation of the accord. The report seeks reservation for Assamese in parliament, state assembly, local bodies, and regulation of entry of people from other states into Assam. AASU, whose three members were part of the committee, said they were forced to release the report because of the government’s inaction on it.

“We have resolved to implement Clause 6 and are on track. By releasing the report, AASU has created complications. The committee’s report will be tabled in assembly at a future date and it will define and ratify definition of the Assamese people,” said Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “It is only after the assembly passes a resolution, the matter will go to the Centre and implementation process of Clause 6 will begin.”aasu’s chief advisor, Samujjal Bhattacharya, on Tuesday said the report was submitted over five months back, and with the government remaining quiet on its contents and implementation, the group decided to make it public .