MoUs without North Cachar council's consent spark row, SSPC calls it attack on 6th Schedule

Haflong, March 9: The Sixth Schedule Protection Committee (SSPC) has strongly condemned the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between private companies, the District Commissioner (DC) and the District Industries and Commerce Centre (DICC) as part of Advantage Assam 2.0 on February 25 at Haflong. Daniel Langthasa, Convenor of the SSPC, made this statement at a press meeting held on Friday.

Langthasa stated, "This act dilutes the constitutional powers of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) and undermines the autonomy guaranteed under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution."

He emphasized that the Industry department falls solely under the jurisdiction of the NCHAC. Any agreement related to industries in Dima Hasao must be exclusively handled by the Council and not the district administration, the State government, or any external authority.

By allowing the district administration to overstep its mandate, the Council itself is surrendering its powers, setting a dangerous precedent for future violations of tribal autonomy.

Furthermore, he demanded that all MoUs signed without the sole authority of the NCHAC must be revoked immediately and a resolution must be passed to ensure that only the NCHAC signs and deals with industrial projects in Dima Hasao.

He also demanded that all future industrial agreements must involve direct consultation with local landowners and Gaon Burhas (GBs), and priority must be given to sustainable industries like agriculture, agro-processing, green energy and eco-tourism, and not extractive industries like cement and mining.

Langthasa further stated that the SSPC will continue to fight against any attempt to weaken the Sixth Schedule and the autonomy of the tribal people of Dima Hasao. If these demands are ignored, they will continue their opposition through legal and democratic means, Langthasa added.

- By Correspondent