CPI wants Constitutional and Legislative safeguard for Assamese

Guwahati, Apr 5 (UNI) Amid the debate over the definition of the word ''Assamese'', the CPI today said the past history and present status of the state should be considered to coin the definition.

Slamming the Centre for its alleged soft-peddling the implementation of the Assam Accord even after 22 years of its signing, CPI national executive member Pramode Gogoi told a news conference here that the ''Constitutional, Legislative and administrative safeguards'' as enshrined in the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord were still a far a cry for the Assamese.

'' The Clause 6 of the Accord states that Constitutional, Legislative and administrative safeguards shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese. But 22 years after the Accord was signed, the Centre now seeks to know who an Assamese is, '' Mr Gogoi said.

The government had sought views from as many as six parties of the state on the definition of the word ''Assamese'', an issue which had of late created a vigorous statewide debate.

Spelling out the party's views as to who an ''Assamese'' is, Mr Gogoi said, '' The Constitution says all those who had their domicile in Asom at the commencement of the Constitution are Indians. But on the commencement day there was no legal document to certify one's domicile. '' So, he said, all those, included in the 1952 National Register of Citizens, and all those, who had been enlisted in the Electoral Rolls of the first 1952 general elections, and their progenies should be accepted as Assamese. '' They may be Bengalis, Marwaris, tribals or from other communities, '' he added.

Asked about the migrants entering the state after 1951, Mr Gogoi said was a different issue and needed another debate.

Commenting on the abnormal growth of the state's population after Independence, he said under no normal condition a state's population, which was 80 lakh during partition, could be 2.80 crore now. His obvious reference was to the unabated illegal migration from across the border, especially Bangladesh.

The CPI also said for coining a definition of ''Assamese'', Constitutional and Legislative provisions were necessary along with administrative measures.

'' The government should implement the Assam Accord at the earliest to provide Constitutional, Legislative and administrative safeguard to the Assamese, '' the Left party demanded.

UNI