Conclave to discuss land rights from June 24

GUWAHATI: Organisations representing different indigenous ethnic groups in Assam have called a Maha Sanmilan (grand conclave) at Moran on June 24 and 25 to reassert their rights over their 'ancestral land' as defined by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People to which India is a signatory.
"For the indigenous people, Assam is their ancestral land which should be fully protected. But this has not happened. Hence, different ethnic groups are up in arms to fight for their rights.The upcoming conclave will focus on the UN declaration of September 13, 2007. We will reassert the rights declared in the resolution because India is also a signatory to it," said Motiur Rahman, working president of Assam Sanmilita Mahasanga (ASM). The conclave derives its significance from the fact that ASM is a petitioner against the SC verdict which decided March 25, 1971, as the cutoff for detecting foreigners in Assam. ASM's stand is by accepting March 25, 1971 as the cutoff year for Assam, lakhs of foreigners have become or set to become citizens who entered the state since 1951.