Citizens Rights Protection Coordination Committee (CRPCC) has opposed the word ‘indigenous’ used in an advertisement circulated by the High-Level Committee for Clause 6 of Assam Accord seeking public opinion.
This comes after the All Assam Bengali Hindu Association (AABHA) raised its voices against the same.
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In a letter, the CRPCC stated, “The committee has been constituted by the Centre aimed at the judicious implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.”
“The Clause 6 assures linguistic, cultural, social, and constitutional safeguard of the ‘Assamese’ people of the state,” the statement added.
“It is shocking to observe that a term ‘indigenous’ has been inappreciably added to the original word ‘Assamese’,” it further said.
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According to the CRPCC, the original word broadly classified and divided the people living in Assam till March 24, 1971, the date accepted by the Assam Accord signatories.
It further mentioned that the term ‘indigenous’ contradicts the spirit of the Assam Accord, as well as, of the NRC.
“The term ‘indigenous Assamese’ has created more confusion,” the statement added.
“We firmly believe that the High-Level Committee bears no authority to distort such a vital clause of the historic accord,” added CRPCC.
“The principles upheld by the committee to safeguard the linguistic, cultural and constitutional rights of only the ‘indigenous Assamese’, are undemocratic, unconstitutional, and divisive,” the statement said.
“The ‘Right to Land’ as detailed in Clause 11and 12 of the Accord is being attempted to be artificially incorporated in Clause 6,” the CRPCC said.
“We apprehend the possibility of a civil war in the state owing to misreading and wrong implementation of Clause 6,” the statement added.
CRPCC is a conglomeration of over 40 NGOs and civil bodies of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj.