Assam Government moves towards implementing Clause 6 based on Biplab Sarma Committee report

The Assam government on February 16, initiated steps to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, based on recommendations from the Biplab Sarma Committee report. 

A high-level meeting, attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leaders, and key stakeholders, concluded with a roadmap for execution. The discussions encompassed 38 key topics from the commission's report, with further deliberations scheduled before March 10.

The government took few key decisions:

New Revenue Circles for Assamese People: Modeled after tribal belts and blocks, exclusive revenue circles will be created where only Assamese people will have land rights.

Language Mandates in Schools: Assamese will be made compulsory in all English-medium schools across the Brahmaputra Valley, while both Assamese and Bodo will be mandatory in BTC-administered areas.

Mandatory Assamese History in Schools: From April 1, 2026, Assamese history will be a compulsory subject up to Class 8. The government will also initiate comprehensive documentation of Assamese history.

State Notifications in Assamese: Beginning April 14, all government notifications will be published in both Assamese and English, coinciding with Bohag Bihu. A dedicated Directorate of State Language will be established.

New Assamese Departments & Chairs: Tezpur University will set up an Assamese department with a Padmanath Gohain Baruah chair, while Assam University, Silchar, will introduce a Lakshminath Bezbaruah chair.

Legal Protection for Satras & Naamghars: A five-member State Board will be formed to oversee legal protection and management of religious sites, including Satras and Naamghars.

With respect to infrastructure and employment initiatives, the government has decided the following:
2,000 new posts will be created for land-related administration.
Rs 100 crore allocated for Shankardev Kalakshetra.
Jyoti Chitraban employees to be brought under government administration.

Meanwhile, AASU advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya reiterated the organization’s stance, stating that the land rights of indigenous Assamese people must be safeguarded, and emphasized the need for constitutional safeguards to protect Assam’s native communities.

Speaking to the media, Samujjal Bhattacharya said, ""Justice Biplab Sarma Committee was formed by the Union Home Ministry, Government of India. And this committee had submitted its report on time. We have waited for four years to get the result. Ultimately, the Assam Government had initiated the process of discussion and it was identified that total 67 issues are there in the report out of which 40 are directly under the purview of the state government. 12 under the purview of both the government and 15 are under the purview of the Central government. So we want all the recommendations to be implemented to give Constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the state".

With these strategic decisions, the Assam government is taking definitive steps towards the long-pending implementation of Clause 6, ensuring cultural, linguistic, and land protection for the Assamese people.