News Analysis India

Tag: Assamese people

  • peace pact: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma outlines electoral criteria; says only residents of 200-300 years eligible for 106 assembly seats

    Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that following the delimitation and accord with United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)only those who have been residing in Assam for the last 200 to 300 years will get elected from nearly 106 assembly seats out of 126 assembly constituencies.

    Sarma while talking to media persons said, “The exercise of delimitation of assembly constituencies and parliamentary seats was done by Election Commission of India and the outcome was 96 seats were secured for Assamese people. In these seats only those residing in Assam for ages can win these seats.”

    He said, “In 12 seats of Barak valley of Assam in around eight seats only the indigenous people of Barak valley will be able to win. If put together we have secured 106 seats for indigenous people. In the peace accords with ULFA it is incorporated that the main principles of delimitation exercise of assemblies and parliamentary constituencies will remain in future. This is done so that demography of the constituencies does not change, and political power remains with Assamese people.”The chief minister said that this will secure Assam politically for another 30 to 40 years.” In the accord there is incorporated that a voter before changing his constituencies must fulfil several conditions. A person cannot encroach on the forest land and become a voter of a new constituency . One can change his voting area if he is the permanent resident by purchasing land or other substantial interest. The ordinary residency must be acquired, like someone is a government servant and moved due to services.”

    The chief minister elaborated that there will be more discussion as to what more will be added. “ULFA accord has achieved what we tried to achieve through different ways. This accord has ensured the highest level of protection within the constitution of India.”

    He added, “We will bring bills in assembly to enable various provisions of this clause of the accord. The government of India when it brings a legislation for delimitation in the country, there will be separate provisions of Assam, we will bring laws to the voters conditionality”.He said that by Assamese we mean those staying in Assam for ages. Those who live in Assam for 200 to 300 years are Assamese. “The political landscape of Assam stands changed after almost 27 years as the Election commission of India has published the Delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies last year.

    On December 29, the government of India and ULFA inked a peace accord.

  • ULFA leader Paresh Baruah urges CM Khandu to grant PRC to native Assamese of Arunachal

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Paresh Baruah, the military chief of the insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), appealed to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to grant a permanent residence certificate (PRC) to the state’s native Assamese.

    “Diversity has laid the foundation for many nations around the world; some overcame extreme poverty and managed to topple mountainous obstacles with workforce…

    “Arunachal Pradesh has always been kind to its Assamese-speaking community over the years. However, Assamese speakers, who are natives of the land and have been living there for generations before NEFA (North-East Frontier Agencies) 1972, are now in danger of repatriation,” Baruah wrote in a letter addressed to Khandu.

    He said the legacies of countless families were being questioned and reduced to a piece of paper. He said the native Assamese speakers of Arunachal had been denied the right to obtain PRC.

    “I would like to humbly request the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh to not let the heritage of countless Assamese families decimate. It is an earnest request on our behalf that the Assamese people who are natives of Arunachal Pradesh be granted PRC,” he said.

    There are no official figures to suggest the number of native Assamese in Arunachal. A lot of them have been settled in the eastern part of the state.

    The appeal by the ULFA leader comes just days after the CM had announced in his Independence Day speech that the “illegal Chakma immigrants” (they trace their roots to East Pakistan or present-day Bangladesh) would be relocated outside Arunachal with honour.