- The Union Home Ministry has constituted a High-Level Committee for implementation of Clause six of the Assam Accord which was signed in 1985. The Union Cabinet had approved the setting up of the committee on January 2, 2019.
- As per the notification, the nine-member committee, comprising of eminent Assamese persons from different fields, is headed by former bureaucrat MP Bezbarauah.
- The committee will examine the effectiveness of actions since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
- The committee will also assess the requirement of measures to be taken to protect Assamese and other indigenous languages of Assam and quantum of reservation in employment under the state government.
- It will hold discussions with all stakeholders and assess the required quantum of reservation of seats in the State Assembly and local bodies for the people of the state.
What is Clause 6 of Assam Accord?
- The clause 6 of Assam Accord envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, should be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the people of Assam.
- The Assam Accord was signed on August 15, 1985 in New Delhi after All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) agitation against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- The Accord states all illegal foreigners who came to Assam after 1971 from Bangladesh irrespective of religion have to be deported. This accord also fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of their religion.
