Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 7 said people whose families have lived in the state for three generations would qualify as “original inhabitants” (Khilonjiya) under the proposed Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Amendment Bill.
Sarma said the provision was broadly in line with the spirit of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, under which families residing in Assam before 1951 would generally fall within the definition.
Responding to concerns raised by members of the Kalita community over provisions for protected areas around major cultural institutions, Sarma said the core provision of the proposed legislation had been misunderstood.
The Bill proposes protection of land within a 5-km radius of historic Satras and cultural sites in places such as Barpeta, Batadrava and Majuli. Sarma said communities living in these areas, including Kalitas, Brahmins, Koch-Rajbongshis and Misings, would meet the three-generation residency requirement.
He also said Bengali-origin religious and linguistic minorities who settled in Assam before 1951 would be treated as original inhabitants. According to Sarma, this is consistent with eligibility guidelines under the state’s Mission Basundhara land policy.
The Chief Minister further said the proposed legislation contains specific safeguards for the tea garden community. Members of the community would be protected as indigenous people even if they face difficulties in establishing or documenting three generations of residence in Assam.
Sarma said the provisions had been extensively debated in the Assam Legislative Assembly and maintained that the legislation leaves little scope for confusion over who qualifies as an original inhabitant.