The Gurkha community in Assam has recently sought for a gazette notification that ensures that the protections and benefits under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord from 1985 are extended to them. This demand has grown stronger after the recommendations made by a high-level committee led by Biplab Kumar Sharma, which was formed by the Union Home Ministry to clarify the terms of Clause 6.
The Demands of the Gurkha Community
The primary concern of the Gurkha community is their exclusion from the safeguards that have been proposed for other indigenous groups in Assam. This includes constitutional, legislative, and administrative protections that aim to preserve the cultural, social, and linguistic identity of the Assamese people. The committee’s recommendations, which were made under Sharma’s chairmanship, have been met with resistance because they do not consider Gurkhas as indigenous Assamese people.
Biplab Kumar Sharma Committee Recommendations
The committee’s report proposed several key measures, including setting a cut-off date of 1st January 1951 to define an Indian citizen residing in Assam as Assamese. It also recommended reserving seats for Assamese natives in Parliament, state assemblies, and local bodies, along with quotas for government jobs. Non-Assamese individuals would be regulated through the implementation of the Inner Line Permit regime, which is already being used in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram. The report further discussed land rights, cultural rights, social rights, protection of state resources, and biodiversity matters.
Government Assurance
In response to the Gurkha community’s demands, the government recognized the community as one of the oldest in Assam and assured them that they would be treated as equals with other indigenous communities. Their constitutional rights under Clause 6 would be protected, according to the government’s statement.
Gurkhas in Assam
Currently, there are approximately 25 lakh Gurkhas residing in Assam. They began to settle in the region towards the end of the 18th century, primarily working as grazers and cultivators. The Gurkha community played a significant part in Assam’s history, particularly during the First Anglo-Burmese War, which ended with the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. This treaty was signed after a two-year-long war between the British and Burmese forces. The British declared the Gurkhas as a protected class within tribal belts and blocks according to the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act of 1886.
Assam Accord Overview
The Assam Accord was a tripartite agreement signed in 1985 between the Government of India, the Assam state government, and the leaders of the Assam Movement. The Accord put an end to the anti-foreigner agitation in Assam that had been ongoing from 1979 to 1985. The central point of the Accord was the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants from Assam who had arrived after the midnight of March 24, 1971. Despite this, there has been a long-standing demand for the detection and deportation of anyone who came to Assam illegally after 1951.
