Major recommendations of Justice Sarma panel still undecided, claims Congress
Guwahati, Sept 18: Opposition Congress on Wednesday criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly using the issue of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to divert attention from alleged corruption involving his family stating that major recommendations of the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee are still pending decision by the Assam Cabinet.
Justice Sarma panel was formed in July 2019 to address Clause 6 of the Accord, which had submitted its report in February 2020, during the tenure of then-Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah and Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia pointed out that the Committee originally tasked by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), submitted its report to former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, instead of directly to the MHA.
According to Borah, the report was effectively ignored for four years from 2020 to 2024, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is now using the issue of Clause 6 to distract the public from alleged corruption involving his family.
Borah stated that the implementation of Clause 5 and Clause 6 of the Assam Accord will not occur as long as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is in effect in the state. “One of the major recommendations from the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee was to reserve seats in the Lok Sabha for indigenous people. We call for clarity from the central government on how many seats would be reserved for Indigenous people,” he questioned.
Borah further pointed out that the state cabinet had also overlooked the recommendation for reserving seats for Indigenous people in the Assam Legislative Assembly.
Borah also raised concerns about the Justice Sarma Committee’s recommendations regarding border management and deportation. He noted that the panel suggested sealing the Indo-Bangla border to curb further influx from Bangladesh, an issue that, according to Borah, should be addressed through bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh, rather than being a state matter. Borah questioned whether any discussions or initiatives for such bilateral talks had been pursued.
“The panel recommended to deport individuals who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, and to rehabilitate them outside the state. This matter also falls outside the state government’s jurisdiction and the question arises whether the Cabinet had discussed it or if the Home Ministry had taken any stance on the issue,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress leader also addressed Justice Sarma’s recommendations on the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the creation of an Upper House, both of which fall under central jurisdiction. How these recommendations, which involve significant central oversight, have been handled by the state government,” the Congress leader further questioned.
Furthermore, Borah criticized the lack of consensus on defining “indigenous” communities and questioed whether the definition would be based on language, religion, or another criterion. He emphasized the need for a clear and agreed-upon definition before implementing related recommendations.
“The Chief Minister is trying to confuse people to sail through the 2026 assembly polls. Corruption by his family is a big issue in people’s minds. He has raised the Assam Accord topic just to divert public attention from his family,” Borah reiterated.
“Why is he not making it public how the state will implement 57 clauses of the report? Sarma is leaving those 10 clauses which are the essence of the Assam Accord. There is no word from the MHA also regarding the report and its applicability,” Borah added.
Debabrata Saikia pointed out that in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted that all clauses of the Assam Accord would be implemented “in letter and spirit.” However, Saikia claimed that the government violated this commitment the same year by passing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which contradicted the Assam Accord, especially Clause 6.
Saikia also emphasized that the Assam Accord was signed on August 15, 1985 under the initiative of the Congress government. He demanded that Congress members be included in the panel formed by the BJP-led government to monitor the implementation of the Assam Accord, as the Congress had a significant role in the original agreement.
“The Assam government had already formed a Group of Ministers (GoM) to develop a strategy for implementing Clauses 5 and 6 of the Assam Accord. Several rounds of discussions had taken place with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). I demand that Congress be included as a party in further discussions, emphasizing the party’s role in the original signing of the Accord and its stake in the process of its implementation,” he added
