NEW DELHI, June 26 ? In a major policy disclosure, the Union Home Ministry has today ruled out creation of an autonomous State of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills under 244 A of the Constitution on the ground that it was not feasible. Union Home Minister LK Advani clarified the NDA Government?s stand on the issue, at a meeting of his Ministry?s Parliamentary Consultative Committee held here today. The Union Home Minister was responding to a clarification sought by CPI-ML MP Dr Jayanta Rongpi, who moved three agenda discussions at the meeting here this morning.
The Union Home Minister said that the Central Government?s hands were tied and it cannot unilaterally take any decisions until the State Legislative Assembly passed a resolution supporting creation of an autonomous State of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills. Sri Advani pointed out that despite the BJP supporting creation of a separate State of Vidarbha, it has not achieved much because the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has not passed a resolution supporting the move. The revival of the demand for creation of an autonomous state has political dimensions and its rejection would have an impact on the highly volatile Karbi politics. More so because after the split of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Holiram Terang group, which enjoys a close rapport with the BJP, has had made a strong pitch for creation of an autonomous State.
A delegation of ASDC and its allied organisation that included leaders like Sri Terang has been pressuring the Centre to relent and had even managed to revive the tripartite talks process. A preliminary round of negotiation was held in the last week of May involving the Karbi leaders at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). On the other hand, Dr Rongpi quoted the Union Home Minister as having said that no tripartite talks on Karbi issue was convened by his Ministry. In response to a pointed query, Sri Advani denied having revived tripartite talks on the issue of autonomous State, Dr Rongpi asserted.
The three items on Dr Rongpi?s agenda today were discussion on autonomous State, special package for Karbi Anglong and NC Hills including the status of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Assam Government and delegation of powers to the autonomous councils, besides fate of the various accords signed by the Centre in the North-east. The delay on part of the State Government to transfer the departments to the two Councils has been a sore point. Among other demands the ASDC has been calling for adequate financial powers and transfer of crucial departments like the Home.
On the fate of the various Accords signed by the Centre, Dr Rongpi said, the Centre claimed to have implemented majority of the clauses conceding that implementation of the Accords was a time consuming affair. The MHA also gave a detailed account of the clauses implemented so far by the Centre. Dr Rongpi, however, claimed to have contested the Home Minister?s contention pointing out that a major cause of the discontentment prevailing in the Region was also non-implementation of the Accords.
One of the major clauses in Assam Accord about constitutional safeguards for protection of the cultural identity of the indigenous population of the State lies unimplemented. Similarly the Centre has not implemented most of the clauses of the Bodo Accord and Shillong Accord, Dr Rongpi claimed as having countered. Dr Jayanta Rongpi said that the problem of North-east should not be taken up in piece-meal. The entire area has been neglected and it is high time that a comprehensive approach is needed for restoring confidence in the people of this area, he said.