Assam to Table Private Panel Report on Assam Agitation Violence for First Time

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the Assam cabinet resolved to present the findings of a non-government committee that was established at the request of civil society organisations to investigate violent incidents during the anti-infiltration Assam Agitation.

He asserted that when the assembly convenes for a five-day session beginning on Tuesday, a report from a commission established by non-governmental organisations will be presented in the assembly for the first time.

Addressing a press conference after chairing a meeting of the council of ministers on Sunday, Sarma said, "The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has said that the report of the Justice (Retd.) T U Mehta Commission, which was formed by Mukti Jujaru Sanmilan and the agitators, should be made public so that people can get to know all sides," he said.

The chief minister said the cabinet has approved the tabling of the non-government commission report, making it the first time that the findings of a privately constituted committee will be placed in the House.

"We have also decided to place copies of the report of the Tewary Commission, which was constituted in 1983 to look into the incidents of violence that year," he said.

The signing of the Assam Accord in August 1985 marked the end of the six-year Assam Agitation, although the state still struggles with the issue of illegal migrants.

Sarma said that only one copy of the Tewary Commission report was provided to the Speaker, despite the fact that it was presented in 1987 by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

The Assam Gana Sangram Praishad, which, along with AASU and the central government, signed the tripartite Accord, gave rise to the AGP.

"On Tuesday, we will be providing copies to all MLAs and others too," the chief minister said.

"Technically, both reports are public, but copies were not distributed," he pointed out.

Sarma further maintained that though the Tewary Commission was formed by the Congress government, the report was "generally neutral and compiled through much hardship".

"Congress thinks there are provocative things in the report and that the BJP will gain politically. But there is nothing of the kind. It is just a historic piece that will be lost to time if the copies are not made public. It is an academic exercise," he said.

The current Congress leadership, led by Indira Gandhi at the Centre and Hiteshwar Saikia, the father of the current opposition leader in the assembly, at Dispur, was accused by him of being "hollow and immature" for attempting to thwart the publication of the report of a commission established under their party.

"The report has some negative things on AASU, but they say let it come out. New generations will learn a lot of things of the situation then... It is a crime against humanity to hide history," Sarma added.

The chief minister added that the cabinet also approved roughly 27 bills that will be presented in the assembly, such as the establishment of a philanthropic university by the Azim Premji Foundation, regulation of the fees of private educational institutions run by minority communities, and the distribution of land to tea garden workers.