‘Creation of autonomous state within Assam only acceptable solution’

Our Correspondent

Diphu, Jan. 25 (EMN): Joint Coordination Committee for Protection of Autonomy (JCCPA), a conglomeration of several political and social organisations convened a meeting on Jan. 24 at Diphu Club to discuss how it can pressurise the state and Central government to revoke the controversial Clause 2.3 of the MoS signed on September 4, 2021 for peace settlement.

JCCPA have been protesting against the Clause 2.3 of MoS signed by six armed organisations of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong with the state and Central government.

Leaders of 32 social organisations including political parties and Karbi Cultural Society participated in the meeting in order to take a strong decision on the course of action by JCCPA.

State Chairman, Liberal Democratic Party and former minister, Holiram Terang said, ‘mass campaign should be conducted to pressurise both the state and Central government to revoke the MoS for the interest of the Scheduled tribes of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. From the beginning of signing the MoS, indigenous hill tribes’ people have been protesting against clause 2.3 and other contentious clauses which are against the interest of the people.

In the meeting the leaders expressed their disagreement, saying that the present BJP government is in favour of bigger communities, whereas for the smaller communities like the Karbis and other hill tribes of Northeast, the government is always trying to suppress them. The government is trying to abolish the Sixth Schedule. The agreement was signed without taking consultation with the hills people and other political parties, they asserted.

President of Autonomous State Demand Committee, Chandra Kanta Terang said that JCCPA is going through a peaceful democratic process to protest the clause, adding that the committee (JCCPA) has appealed to the Chief Executive Member of KAAC to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the clause, along with BJP, which has not been fulfilled yet.

Terang said that it is a violation of Sixth Schedule as mentioned in the sub-paragraph 6 (paragraph 2) of the Sixth Schedule, the KAAC is empowered to create new constituencies.

Convenor of JCCPA, Khorsing Teron also said that the sub-paragraph 7 (paragraph 2) of the Sixth Schedule gives power to the Autonomous Council of Karbi Anglong to allocate seats, create new constituencies and verify the qualification of voters to cast votes and contest in the KAAC election.

Reading out the resolution adopted in the meeting Teron stated that the creation of an autonomous state within the state of Assam as provided under provision of article 244 (A) of India constitution is the only acceptable comprehensive final solution.

By incorporating the contentious clauses in the MoS, it has been intended to further undermine the autonomy of KAAC and finish the constitutional safeguard of hill tribes proper of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. The proposition made under contentious clauses 2.1.2.2.2.3. (29.2.11) should not and cannot be accepted and therefore, unanimously resolved that an all- party delegation should be convened to thoroughly discuss the contentious clauses and find an acceptable solution, he said.

Teron informed that the major political parties, who attended the meeting, are Congress, ASDC, CPI (ML), NPP, APHLC, HSDC, LDP and AGP and socio-cultural organisation Karbi Cultural Society, students, youth and women organisations.

It may be mentioned that in Clause 2.3 of the MoS, 50 seats are proposed in Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), 34 are reserved for Scheduled tribes candidates, 10 seats open for all categories and six seats as nominated.