CLAUSE FIVE OF ASSAM ACCORD, 1985 AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS FOR SOLVING FOREIGNERS PROBLEM IN ASSAM

Abstract

The problem of illegal migration in Assam is a perennial issue and it has dominated the socio-cultural and political fields of Assam since the formation of Bangladesh in 1971. All Assam Student Union and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad launched six years long Assam Agitation to get rid of foreigners from East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh). Finally, Assam Accord was signed in 1985 to solve the problem of illegal foreigners. The Clause 5 of the Accord is related with the foreigners matter. However, this particular clause was handicapped by the prevalence of the Illegal Migrants (Determination) by Tribunals Act, 1983, absconding habits of the declared illegal foreigners, government attitudes, and sometimes by the Tribunals. So, this paper is a humble attempt to critically analyse the Foreigners Clause (Clause 5) and attitude of the governments in implementing the particular Clause after it coming into force. Main finding of the study is lying on the point that the Foreigners Clause of the Assam Accord has get little success in solving the illegal migrant problem in Assam.