GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured on Wednesday, September 25 that the state government is working towards full implementation of Clause VI of the 39-year-old Assam Accord by April 2025.
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This follows the recommendations made by the Justice (retired) Biplab Sarma Commission on implementation of the crucial clause. Briefing the media after a meeting with the All Assam Students' Union ( AASU), he said the government would prepare a detailed action plan to enforce the recommendations under its jurisdiction, with an expected discussion between the Union government and the AASU on October 25.
The Assam Accord of 1985 was the culmination of the six-year-long movement against foreigners spearheaded by the AASU. Sarma revealed that the Barak Valley and Sixth Schedule areas—namely Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)—would not fall within the purview of Clause VI implementation. He clarified that the exclusion of these regions from the scope of the recommendations was a consensus reached with AASU during a meeting in Dispur. He also reiterated that the Hindu and Muslim Bengali majority Barak Valley would not be included in the official definition of "Assamese" as per the Clause.
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Sarma stated, "The Justice Sarma Commission's report has been made public and will soon be available on the Assam Accord Implementation Department's website. We have agreed with AASU to implement 67 of the panel’s recommendations. Of these, 40 are under the state's jurisdiction, 12 are shared between the state and the Centre, and 15 are solely under the Central government’s authority."
The chief minister emphasised that the state's responsibilities include areas related to land, language, and cultural rights. The Centre, however, would need to take charge of recommendations concerning political and job reservations, as these require constitutional amendments. Sarma assured that the state would engage the central government in further discussions with AASU to expedite progress on these points.
The deadline for the state’s action plan is set for October 25, and the government intends to finalise the process by April 2025, provided that AASU has agreed to the current terms.
One of the central elements of Clause VI is the definition of "Assamese." The chief minister explained that there are two interpretations: the broader one, which refers to all individuals born in Assam who accept its language and culture, and the more specific definition, relevant to Clause VI, which identifies Assamese as those who were residents of the state in 1951. Sarma confirmed that AASU supports this 1951 cut-off.
The Justice Sarma Commission has divided the state into two zones for the implementation of Clause VI, with the 1951 cut-off being applicable to rural areas but not to municipal regions.
Sarma stressed that the state government is committed to implementing the recommendations within the set timeline, adding, "There is no legal obligation to include more organisations in this dialogue, as the Justice Sarma panel has already consulted all relevant stakeholders during the preparation of the report."
The coming months will be critical as the Assam government works towards fulfilling the long-standing demands of the Assam Accord, setting a definitive deadline of April 2025 for full implementation.
