Urgent Need for Constitutional Safeguards for Assam's Indigenous People

Call for Constitutional Amendments

Guwahati, June 20: Samujjal Bhattacharya, the chief adviser of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), emphasized the necessity of constitutional amendments to protect the rights of Assam's indigenous population. He announced that the AASU plans to submit a new affidavit to the Supreme Court for the re-verification of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

In an interview, Bhattacharya stated that significant decisions regarding the implementation of the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee's recommendations for constitutional protections must come from the Central Government. These recommendations include reserving seats for indigenous individuals in the Assembly, Parliament, and local bodies, job reservations, and the introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Assam. He stressed that a constitutional amendment is essential for these measures to be enacted. The State Government has indicated that a tripartite meeting involving the Central and State Governments along with the AASU will be convened soon to address these matters.

Bhattacharya noted that the State Government has already initiated actions to implement 38 of the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee's recommendations, with a meeting with the Chief Minister planned for early July to discuss further implementations.

Regarding the Supreme Court's dismissal of petitions related to NRC re-verification, Bhattacharya mentioned that the AASU, in collaboration with Assam Public Works, has decided to file new petitions in the Supreme Court. He urged both the State and Central Governments to also submit petitions for NRC re-verification.

He asserted that an accurate NRC is crucial for effectively addressing the issue of foreign infiltration.

Commenting on the government's recent initiative to deport illegal foreigners residing in Assam, Bhattacharya acknowledged that, for the first time since the Assam Accord was signed, steps have been taken to deport illegal migrants. However, he cautioned that this should not be a temporary measure tied to elections but rather a sustained effort until all illegal foreigners and extremist elements are eliminated from Assam, as no indigenous person desires Assam to become another Kashmir.