Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: The people of the Diphu Constituency (Assam) have been demanding the implementation of Article 244(A) of the Constitution.
Article 244(A) of the Constitution allows for the creation of an autonomous state within Assam, specifically in tribal areas such as Karbi Anglong. This provision, added through the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act of 1969, grants significant powers to the autonomous state, including its own Legislature or Council of Ministers. Notably, it provides more autonomy compared to the existing Autonomous Councils under the Sixth Schedule by granting control over law and order.
The history of this provision traces back to the 1950s when demands for a separate hill state emerged among certain tribal populations of undivided Assam. By the 1980s, this demand had escalated into an armed separatist insurgency, with Karbi groups at the forefront. Leaders of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, part of this movement, were given the option to remain in Assam or join Meghalaya. They chose to stay in Assam based on promises of greater powers, including those outlined in Article 244(A).
