GUWAHATI, July 20 - The All Assam Students� Union (AASU) today pleaded before the Committee for Protection of Land Rights of the Indigenous People of Assam for declaration of a new land policy and a land law based on this policy for safeguarding the land rights of the indigenous people of the State, said an AASU statement here this evening.
The AASU delegation urged the Committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner HS Brahma, that Clause Six of the Assam Accord should be the basis for this land law to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people.
The model of allowing only the indigenous people with the right to hold land, which is prevalent in several North Eastern states, should also be followed by Assam, the delegation said.
The AASU delegation also laid stress on conducting a transparent survey of the entire land area of the State with the application of modern technology. Moreover, it should also be ensured that agricultural land are not transferred to non-agricultural purposes and efforts should also be made to gather precise information on the land allotted to the tea estates and the present size of the land under the occupation of the tea estates, the delegation said.
The AASU and its allied organisations, which number 28 in total, had presented their view on the idea of constitutional safeguard proposed in the Assam Accord, at a discussion held with the Speaker of the previous Legislative Assembly of the State. On the issue, the AASU and its ally organisations have held discussions with the ethnic literary bodies too.
Going by the provisions of the Assam Accord, 1951 should be the base year for the constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the State.
