Published 17:34 IST, February 17th 2020
MHA panel recommends ILP for Assam, to set 1951 cut-off year to define indigenous people
A Home Ministry-appointed panel suggested that 1951 should be the cut-off year for defining indigenous people of Assam & given nod for inner line permit (ILP)
In a big development on Monday, a Home Ministry-appointed committee has suggested that 1951 should be the cut-off year for defining the indigenous people of Assam and has given a nod for the Inner Line Permit (ILP), sources said. The step has been taken by the Home Ministry to control the influx of people in Assam from outside the state. The committee was set up in July 2019 as per Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord. The clause envisages constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
Other recommendations of the panel
The committee, according to the sources, unanimously recommended that those who were residents of Assam in 1951 and their descendants, irrespective of community, caste, language, religion or heritage, will be considered as indigenous people of the state. Besides, the panel suggested that the ILP should be introduced in Assam so that the movement of people from outside the state could be controlled.
In case of reservation of seats in the Assam Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, all members, except three, have suggested that 67 percent seats should be reserved for the indigenous people. The panel has also suggested that 16 percent of seats will be reserved for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. A number of other recommendations were also given for the protection and growth of the Assamese and other indigenous languages. The sources said the 13-member panel, headed by Justice (Retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma, finalised its report last week, conveyed to the home ministry that it was ready to submit it to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
What is ILP?
The Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a document that allows an Indian citizen to go or live in a protected state under the ILP system for a specific period of time. The ILP, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, has been in operation in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram for long and it was introduced in Manipur in December 2019 following an uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). As per the rules, outsiders have to take permission from designated authorities before entering the areas where the ILP is applicable.
What is Assam Accord?
The Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement signed by the Government of India and Government of Assam, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) in New Delhi on August 15, 1985.
It provides for the detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants, who entered the country after 1971 and are living in the state, irrespective of their religion. However, Assam has witnessed widespread protests against the amended citizenship law as they claim that the CAA violates the provisions of the Assam Accord. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, will be given Indian citizenship.
Central govt dedicated to implementing Clause 6 of Assam Accord
On February 7, addressing a rally in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the central government will work expeditiously to implement Clause 6 once the high-powered committee submits its report. In his speech in Rajya Sabha during the debate on the CAA, HM Shah had said, "In 1985, the Assam Accord happened. There is a provision in Clause 6 to protect the indigenous culture of the state. From 1985 to 2014, the committee was not constituted for Clause 6. I want to assure that the NDA government, through Clause 6, will protect rights of the people of Assam. We have constituted the committee and All Assam Students' Union is part of the committee. I want them to send the report of the committee quickly," he had said.
Updated 17:34 IST, February 17th 2020