Assam Accord

Assam Accord

About:

• •  In 1985, the leaders of the Assam Movement, the State Government of Assam, and the Government of India signed a tripartite agreement. 
  • The signing of the Accord marked the end of a six-year protest that began in 1979 with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) calling for the identification and expulsion of Assamese illegal immigrants.
    
    
  • It stipulates that the identification of undocumented foreigners in Assam must be completed by midnight on March 24, 1971. 
  • Nevertheless, the demand was for the identification and deportation of migrants who had entered the state unlawfully after 1951.

Article 6 of the Agreement: 

• •  It states that the Assamese people’s cultural, social, and linguistic identity and legacy shall be protected, preserved, and promoted through the provision of constitutional, legislative, and administrative safeguards, as may be necessary.
  • The committee, which Biplab Kumar Sarma chaired, was established to define “Assamese People” and establish protections for them. 

The Committee’s recommendation: 

• •  Definition of Assamese: In order to meet Clause 6, the report suggests January 1951 as the deadline for any Indian citizen living in Assam to be considered an Assamese.
  • Assamese reservation: The report calls for an Assamese reservation in the state assembly, the parliament, and local bodies. It suggested establishing the Legislative Council of Assam, an Upper House, with seats set aside for “Assamese people.” 
  • The report also calls for hiring quotas in the government. 
  • Outsider Regulation: The paper suggests imposing restrictions on who is allowed entry into Assam from other states, including the introduction of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) system. 
  • The ILP is a system that requires visitors from other parts of India to obtain a special permit in order to enter the state. 
  • At the moment, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram are subject to the ILP. 
  •  Other Rights: The report also discusses topics pertaining to language, cultural, and social rights, as well as the preservation of the state’s natural resources and biodiversity. 

The issues raised were as follows: 

• •  Those who moved between 1951 and 1971, including a sizable portion of post-Partition refugees, would be considered Indian citizens under the terms of the Assam Accord and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), but they would not be qualified for protections under Clause 6 of the Accord intended for “Assamese people.”
  • Before 1951, immigrants from East Bengal who settled in Assam would be regarded as Assamese. 
  • The 1951 NRC is unavailable in some areas of the state, and the current NRC utilizes 1971 as a cut-off. 
  • There is no way to verify that a person was in Assam before 1951.