Context: Recently, the Assamese government identified nearly 1.44 lakh illegal foreigners in assam until January 31, 2022.
Foreigner under the Assam Accord

• The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 by the Centre and the Assam government with the All-Assam Student Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad.
• As per the Accord, anyone who had come to Assam before midnight of March 24, 1971 would be an Indian citizen, while those who had come after would be dealt with as foreigners.

Why is the definition of Assamese difficult?

• Assam’s demography has been shaped by decades of migration dating back to the colonial era.
• A simple definition of Assamese people on the basis of language spoken may exclude someone whose family might have lived in Assam for 100 years.
• Axomiya or Assamese is a contested phrase and mean different to different sections of society.
• Many feel people whose ancestors were living in Assam before 1826, when Assam was merged with British India, are Axomiya.
• Others feel the word ‘Axomiya’ means anyone who were permanent residents of Assam before 1951, when the first NRC was drawn up.
• Still others feel anyone speaking Assamese (or any other indigenous language) is an Axomiya. 
• People from Barak Valley, where Bengali is the local language, would want Bengali-speaking residents of Assam to be included as “Assamese”.

Attempts to define Assamese people:

In a failed attempt in 2015, then Assembly Speaker of Assam prepared a report proposing that ‘Assamese people’ be anyone belonging to the state who:

• Speaks the Assamese language or any tribal dialect of the state or local language of the region or;
• Has been living in Assam since 1951 or earlier.

A committee in 2020, recommended that any person of:

• Indigenous tribal community of Assam;
• Any other indigenous community of Assam;
• All other citizens of India residing in the territory or Assam on or before January 1, 1951 and;
• Descendants of these categories would be considered Assamese.

Other terms for which no definition has been finalised:
Khilonjia

• It refers to all indigenous communities.

Adi Basinda

• It refers to ‘Original inhabitants’, meaning the tribes who have lived for generations in Assam.
• This does not extend to tribal communities settled by the British during colonial rule, as even this is not a settled definition.