Sonowal urges AASU to play active role in Assam Accord panel

Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal Monday urged the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) to play an active role in the high level committee set up to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

The AASU, a signatory of the Accord in 1985, has declined to be a part of the nine-member Committee set up to implement Clause-6 of the Assam Accord, demanding that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill be scrapped first.

The clause 6 of the Accord seeks to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

The high level committee constituted by the central government is a golden opportunity for the state and the AASU must play an active role in the committee, Sonowal, a former AASU president, said.

"I am a son of the soil and I will not allow the Assamese people to get marginalised in their own place. Let us all join hands to find an acceptable, rational and practical solution to this important issue," Sonowal said while laying the foundation stone of the Tinsukia Medical College.

The Centre on Saturday set up the high-level Committee to assess the quantum of seats to be reserved in the Assam assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people, besides providing other safeguards, as per the Clause-6 of the Accord.

A six-year agitation by the AASU demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord by the Rajiv Gandhi government and the AASU on August 15, 1985.

"Assamese race is strong and its existence cannot be threatened by foreigners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working sincerely and dedicatedly for the development of the state and region," he added.

AASU General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi Sunday said the organisation will not be a part of the Committee as the BJP-led government has formed it just three months ahead of Lok Sabha polls to seek votes in Assam.

"By bringing in the Citizenship Bill, the BJP government wants to violate the Clause 5 of the Accord. The Clause 5 says about detection, deletion and deportation of illegal migrants into Assam. Without enforcing this, how can we talk about Clause 6?" Gogoi said.

The AASU and other socio-political organisations of the northeast have vehemently opposed the Citizenship Bill.

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, for granting Indian nationality to people belonging to minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12, even if they don't possess any proper document.