Union Home Ministry appointed committee has suggested that 1951 should be the cut-off year for defining the indigenous people of Assam and introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to control the movement of people from outside the State.
The committee has also suggested two formulas for the reservation of seats for the indigenous people in the Assam Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies of the State, including 67 per cent quota for them.
The high-level committee was set up by the Ministry to suggest ways to provide constitutional safeguards to Assam’s indigenous people. The sources said the 13-member panel, headed by Justice (Retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma, finalised its report last week conveyed to the Home Ministry that it was ready to submit it to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought an appointment with him. The report is expected to be submitted this week itself.
The committee, according to the sources, unanimously recommended that those who were residents of Assam in 1951 and their descendants, irrespective of community, caste, language, religion or heritage, will be considered as indigenous people of the state.
Besides, the panel suggested that the ILP should be introduced in Assam so that movement of people from outside the State could be controlled.
As per the rules, outsiders have to take permission from designated authorities before entering the areas where the ILP is applicable.
In case of State Government jobs, the committee recommended 80 per cent reservation for the locals. A number of other recommendations were also given for the protection and growth of Assamese and other indigenous languages.