The Union home ministry has faced flak for exclusion of tribal community member and female representations in the panel on implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
The Centre recently constituted a 13-member committee headed by former Gauhati High Court judge Biplab Kumar Sarma, to suggest ways to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
No representatives from tribal organisations nor women were included in the high-powered committee.
Expressing displeasure over the absence of woman in the panel Delhi-based senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty twitted: “Sad to see 13-member high powered committee set up by the MHA to implement clause 6 of the Assam Accord doesn’t have a woman even though Assam Movement saw a huge participation of women. Assam is otherwise the land of Kanaklata, Joymoti, Theng Fakri.”
sad to see13-member high powerd committee set up by #MHA to implemnt clause 6 of #AssamAccord doessn’t ve a woman even tho #AssamMovement saw a huge participation of women. #Assam is otherwise the land of #Kanaklata #Joymoti #ThengFakri @narendramodi @AmitShah @sarbanandsonwal
— Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty (@sangbarooahpish) July 25, 2019
The Congress has asked Centre to make the committee broader based.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia urged chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, to hold discussions with the Centre to ensure that representatives of all tribes and communities of Assam are included in the panel.
He appealed to the chief minister to ensure that the committee is made more broad-based as that would assuage the sentiments of all tribes and communities of Assam and also make the recommendations of the committee acceptable to all.
The committee, which met for the first time in New Delhi on Wednesday, has suggested that a member from the tribal community be included in the committee.