The five-day winter session of the Assam Assembly began on Tuesday, with the state government set to table the Tiwari and Mehta Commission reports related to the 1983 Nellie massacre. The tragic incident, which claimed over 2,000 lives and displaced nearly three lakh people, has long awaited public disclosure. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that both reports will be made available to Assembly members and the library, though no discussion or formal tabling will take place on the floor. The reports, originally commissioned by the Assam Gana Parishad government, were never released to the public.
Sarma said the winter session is poised to bring significant reforms, from family protection to modernization of state laws. A total of 18 key bills will be introduced, including legislations on anti-love jihad, anti-polygamy, land and revenue amendments, and prevention of animal cruelty.
On the opening day, the Assembly approved a suspension motion by the opposition to discuss the death of singer Zubeen Garg. Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and independent MLA Akhil Gogoi demanded the discussion, after which CM Sarma intervened, stressing the government’s seriousness on the matter. The Speaker approved the motion while cautioning members not to make comments that could impact the ongoing investigation.
