Under Article 371 Centre Agreed To Include Recommendations: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: State Cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the Centre has agreed in principle to incorporate recommendations to be made by the high-level committee to implement the crucial Clause 6 of Assam Accord, under the Article 371 of the Constitution of India.

The Article 371 stipulates special provisions with respect to different States. Once any special provision for any State is incorporated under Article 371, such provision cannot be challenged in the court of law.

“The present high-level committee is completely different from other committees constituted earlier to give recommendations to implement the Clause 6 of Assam Accord. Unlike the earlier committees, the new committee has the mandate of the Centre since the Union Cabinet approved constitution of such committee. The recommendations to be made by the new committee will have to be implemented by the Centre. Recommendations of the earlier committees were at the discretions of the Centre since the Union Cabinet did not approve their formation,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here on Sunday evening, Sarma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid serious emphasis on effective implementation of recommendations to be made by the high-level committee. He said during a recent meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and him the Prime Minister agreed in principle to include recommendations of the committee under Article 371 of the Constitution.

“Let us now wait and watch what recommdations are made by the committee. But this is a historic and gigantic step by the present regime at the Centre to provide Constitutional safeguards to indigenous people of Assam. Since signing of the Assam Accord the Centre has never constituted the committee of such stature. The committee’s recommendations will act as a shield to protect identity, culture, language and ethos of indigenous people of Assam,” Sarma said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government will also work out the definition of Assamese more appropiately indigenous people of Assam before the committee submits its recommendations. He said both the Centre and State Government will hold discussions, debate and brainstorming sessions with various stakeholders to reach at a consensus on definition of Assamese. The minister said the present government will seriously consider the recommendations given by the former Speaker of Assam Assembly Pranab Gogoi on definition of Assamese.

Former Speaker Pranab recommended, after consultations with 53 different organisations, that the year 1951 be taken as the cut off period and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951, be taken as the basis for the definition of the “Assamese People” for the purpose of reservation of seats and constitutional safeguards as required by the Assam Accord.

Sarma while dismissing reports that some members of the High-Level Committee have objected their inclusion, urged everyone in the State including All Assam Students’ Union to help the committee to come out with unique and strong recommendations to provide Constitutional safeguards to Assamese people.

Evading a direct reply to the questions posed by journalists that the High-Level Committee is an eyewash and contradiction of the Centre as it is going to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Sarma said the issue of the Citizenship Bill is blown out of proportion by vested interest groups.

Also Read: Top Headlines