Assam govt committed to rights of indigenous people: Governor

The Assam government is fully committed to the rights of indigenous people who will get Constitutional safeguard after a designated committee submits its report very soon, Governor Jagdish Mukhi said on Sunday.

Hoisting the National Flag at the main function of 71st Republic Day celebrations here, Mukhi said the state government is dedicatedly working for the dignity of the Assamese people living in Barak-Brahmaputra and hills-plains during the last three and half years.

"The state government is fully committed to the rights of the indigenous people of Assam ... The emphasis given on total implementation of Assam Accord's Clause 6 proves its aim and policy," he said.

The government has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Gauhati High Court retired judge Biplab Sharma and "highly respected and erudite" personalities have been included in it, Mukhi informed.

"Assam will benefit from their knowledge and experience. This committee will submit its report to the government very soon. After that, Assamese people will get Constitutional safeguard and their political, cultural and linguistic rights will be protected forever," he added.

The governor also said that the Assam government has already requested the Centre to declare Assamese as the permanent state language.

"We have prepared a new land policy. With this policy, the land rights of Assam's indigenous people will be secured. The work to give land pattas to landless families have begun and we will complete distributing land pattas to one lakh landless people very soon," he added.

Mukhi further said that to implement the Assam Accord properly, concrete steps have been taken to seal the Indo- Bangla border and the remaining open portion will be sealed very soon.

"This will completely stop illegal immigration," he said without mentioning anything about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in his speech.

The government is determined to make Assam extremist- free, Mukhi said.

"On January 23, 644 members of eight organisations, including ULFA and NDFB, surrendered. We appeal to all organisations to adopt the path of peace. It is essential to have permanent peace," he added.

As the country celebrates its 71st Republic Day, four powerful explosions -- three in Dibrugarh and one in Charaideo districts -- rocked Upper Assam on Sunday morning, but there was no report of any casualty.

The governor said the Centre has decided to accord Scheduled Tribe status to six communities -- Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea-Tribes.