Himanta Biswa Sarma: Clause 6 implementation to safeguard Assam’s identity

To address the growing concerns over demographic changes in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 27 said that BJP government is committed to protect the interests of the state’s people. Sarma said that the administration is taking proactive measures to secure Assam’s identity.

“We are firmly committed to protect the interests of the people of Assam and initiating measures to secure Assam from the imminent threat of demographic change,” Sarma said. He highlighted the steps already taken to preserve the state’s unique identity and announced further actions based on the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sarma Committee on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

The Chief Minister also stated the transparency of his administration by making the Committee’s report public. “As promised, we have made the Committee’s report public for the nation to objectively understand the facts on ground,” he added.

Earlier, following a meeting with representatives of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma initiated the implementation of 52 recommendations from the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee regarding Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, as announced by the Assam government earlier this month. This comes over four years after the Centre-appointed high-level committee finalized its report in February 2020.

Notably, 15 key recommendations of the committee will not be implemented at this time. These, the chief minister noted, will require Constitutional amendments. “We will take up these matters with the Centre at the right forum,” he posted on X on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister also emphasized the transparency of his administration by making the Committee’s report public. “As promised, we have made the Committee’s report public for the nation to objectively understand the facts on ground,” he added.

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What is the Biplab Sarma Committee Report?

The historic Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement between the Rajiv Gandhi-led Union government and the leadership of the Assam Movement, primarily the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), signed in 1985. The accord ended the six-year-long agitation in Assam against the entry of Bangladeshi migrants into the state.

Clause 6 of the accord states that “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.”