Tezpur: Former Gauhati High Court judge Biplab Kumar Sarmah on Saturday said the Assam Land And Revenue Regulation, 1886, requires "lots" of changes for "protection" of the indigenous people of the state.

Justice Sarmah made the call at a two-day national seminar on the need for land law reforms in Assam in view of the rights of the indigenous people, organised by Tezpur Law College in Sonitpur district.

As many as 56 papers on the topic were submitted by members of the judiciary, academics and research scholars since Friday. Over 1,500 delegates attended the seminar from across the country, according to Tezpur Law College principal Bhuban Chandra Barooah.

Justice Sarmah, in his concluding remarks at the technical session addressed by resource person Satyen Sarma, former senior additional advocate-general of Assam, pointed out that the 1886 regulation needs changes because of geographical changes in Assam and the threat perception to the indigenous people of the state". He also suggested all submissions be "brought" to the notice of last year's Dispur-constiuted H.S. Brahma Committee for protection of the land rights of the indigenous people.

Invoking Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi (the first chief minister of Assam) to drive home his point, he said how Bordoloi had in 1935 warned of the threat influx from then East Bengal posed to the indigenous community, if not checked.

Satyen Sarma had earlier called for reforms and holding of more such seminars to generate awareness and mobilising public opinion on saving jati, mati and bheti, a commitment of the BJP-led state government.

"Forming a committee is not enough and legislations without society's involvement will not satisfy 90 per cent of indigenous people, leading to litigation and involvement of courts," Sarma said, calling also for changes in laws dealing with foreigners to protect the indigenous community, which is "yet" to be defined by Dispur.

Sarma, among others, said Clause VI of the Assam Accord should be implemented in totality by way of amending the Constitution and bringing in provisions like Article 370, specifically for Assam, to protect the right over the land of the indigenous/Assamese people. Non-indigenous people as provided in Clause 67 of Assam Land Records Manual should also not get transferable rights to any other non-indigenous person, he said.

Barooah told The Telegraph that all papers will be sent to the government and colleges to create awareness on the issue. He, however, was a "bit sad" with the "no show" of ministers as protection of indigenous people was a "burning" topic.

Senior AGP leader Brindaban Goswami said he would articulate the submissions in the Assembly as lacunae in land laws that need to be addressed.

Additional reporting by Our Special Correspondent in Guwahati