As the 2026 election campaign reaches a fever pitch in Assam, a critical question is looming over the political landscape: what happened to the constitutional safeguards promised under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord? While political parties are vocal about infiltration and development, the silence regarding the implementation of the Justice Biplab Sharma Committee report has left indigenous communities seeking answers. The heart of the issue lies in the 2020 report submitted by a high-level committee headed by Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma. Although both the prime minister and the union home minister had initially promised a swift implementation of these recommendations, the central government has yet to take definitive action. While the state government has moved forward with minor recommendations within its jurisdiction, the most transformative changes require a constitutional amendment from New Delhi. Perhaps the most significant recommendation was the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system across Assam. If the Central Government were to grant ILP status to the state, it would effectively move Assam out of the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). This remains a highly sensitive point of contention, yet it is conspicuously absent from current campaign speeches.
Analysts observe that while the BJP highlights its “double-engine” growth and the Congress focuses on welfare schemes, neither side is addressing why these fundamental safeguards remain in limbo. The indigenous population, which was promised that its political rights would be secured “forever,” now faces an election where its most vital legal protection is being treated as an afterthought.
As the voters of Assam prepare to head to the booths, the “forgotten” recommendations of the Clause 6 committee serve as a reminder of the complex journey toward a permanent political solution. Will the next government move beyond rhetoric to provide actual constitutional armor to the people of Assam? For now, the silence on the rally stages speaks volumes.
