Guwahati, May 5: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has demanded the implementation of the Article 370-like provision in Assam for the “Constitutional safeguard”of the indigenous people of the State.
Gogoi said, “We have demanded the Centre to implement (provisions like) Article 370 or 371 (A), 371 (F) 371 (J) in Assam to give Constitutional safeguard to the people of the state. The indigenous people of the state will not be safe until Article 370 or 371 (A) like safeguards are implemented,”.
Article 370 acknowledges the special status of a State in terms of autonomy and its ability to formulate laws for the state’s permanent residents. Until a few years back, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed this special status.
Article 371 states that no Act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland in respect of the religious or social practices of the Nagas, its customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law and ownership and transfer of land and its resources.
Opposing 100 per cent revision of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the MLA said that it should happen on partial revision instead.
“The 100 per cent revision of the NRC is undemocratic, unconstitutional. The NRC is just an issue for the BJP. They have no agenda to give safeguard to the indigenous people of Assam,” Gogoi asserted.
