Presentation of Historical Reports
Guwahati, Nov 26: Today, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the findings of the TP Tewary Commission and the unofficial TU Mehta panel, both of which examined the violent events that occurred in Assam in 1983.
The Tewary Commission was established by the state government to investigate the events leading to the unrest that transpire between January and April of that year, notably the Nellie incident.
Meanwhile, the Mehta Commission was initiated by the Assam State Freedom Fighters Association.
Although the Tewary Commission’s findings were previously submitted, Chief Minister Sarma noted that they had not been widely disseminated, as only a limited number of copies were made available.
During today’s session, there was no debate regarding the reports. Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia criticized the re-presentation of the same report, claiming it violates the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Assam Legislative Assembly.
In correspondence to the Speaker, Saikia pointed out that the Tewary Commission’s report was initially presented on March 31, 1987, by the then Chief Minister.
Saikia mentioned receiving a message from former MLA Hemen Das, who confirmed he had a copy of the report during his time in office, thereby questioning the rationale behind its re-presentation.
In another letter, Saikia described the act of introducing a private fact-finding report in the Assembly as “unprecedented.” He argued that similar reports, such as the one from the Delhi Solidarity Group concerning land acquisition in Mikir Bamun Grant village for a power project in Nagaon, which addresses human rights violations and the socio-economic effects of the solar plant, should also be discussed.
