Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the leaders of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) will deliberate for the first time tomorrow after the state Cabinet accepted the Justice BK Sharma-led high-level committee report on clause VI of the Assam Accord.
Talking to The Sentinel, AASU adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya said, “We have received an invitation from the government for discussion on the Justice BK Sharma-led high-level committee report with the Chief Minister tomorrow. What we want is the implementation of all recommendations of the high-level committee. And for that, we are ready to extend all help to the government. We said earlier that the state cabinet accepting the report of the high-level committee is a positive initiative, but we count results only.”
After the cabinet accepted the report of the high-level committee, the Chief Minister did say, “We will proceed with the implementation of the high-level committee report by taking the AASU into confidence. We will hold talks with the AASU and the government of India frequently to speed up the process of implementation of the report. The government wants the opinion of the AASU on the modalities to be followed for the implementation of the recommendations of the high-level committee.”
The state cabinet agreed to implement 52 of the 67 recommendations of the high-level committee at the state government level. It further said that some of the remaining recommendations would be implemented by the central government and some by the state and the central governments together.
The Justice Sharma-led high-power committee was formed to give a report on implementing clause VI of the Assam Accord. This clause states that ‘appropriate constitutional, legislative, and administrative safeguards will be provided to protect the cultural, social, and linguistic identity and heritage of Assamese people’.
The high-level committee also mentioned that a number of constitutional and parliamentary reforms would be required in order to fully implement its recommendations.
Strict implementation of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960; introduction of the four-language principle in the state for giving appropriate legislative protection in education; immediate steps to prevent the shrinkage or decrease of prime agriculture land in the state; survey of sar areas; the setting up of land tribunals at district level to protect tribal belts and blocks; implementation of compulsory Assamese subject at least up to Class VII/Class XII level in all English medium schools, including the ones under the CBSE in the state; statutory legislative protection to all cultural institutions like xatras, naamghars etc., are some of the recommendations which the state government agreed to implement itself.
Also Read: Assam Government Wants To Implement Clause VI Of Assam Accord, Says Atul Bora (sentinelassam.com)
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