Assam Govt Tables Mehta Commission Report, Holds Back Nellie Massacre Probe Document

The Assam government on Tuesday placed the Justice (Retd.) T.U. Mehta Commission report in the State Assembly, but did not formally table the T.P. Tiwari Commission report on the 1983 Nellie massacre, prompting sharp queries from the Opposition over what they called “selective disclosure.”

The matter surfaced during an adjournment motion debate on the death of singer Zubeen Garg. Immediately after his remarks, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the Mehta Commission report before the House.

Tiwari Report Only Circulated, Not Officially Tabled

Although printed copies of the Tiwari Commission report were distributed to MLAs, the document was not officially reintroduced in the Assembly. The move sparked concern because the report deals with one of Assam’s most traumatic episodes — the Nellie massacre, in which more than 2,000 people were killed in a single day in February 1983.

Opposition members sought clarification on why the government chose to formally table the Mehta report while withholding the Tiwari report from official proceedings, despite having access to both.

Government officials maintained that legislators now have “full access” to the Tiwari report, including a newly circulated digital version. But critics said merely handing out copies does not amount to transparency.

A Historic Document Returns — Without Debate

For the first time, the BJP-led government placed printed versions of the Tiwari report on every legislator’s desk. Yet the moment passed without discussion. The Chief Minister made it clear that no debate on either commission’s findings would be permitted at this stage.

The Mehta Commission, commissioned not by the state but by leaders of the Assam Movement, examined the widespread violence surrounding the 1983 Assembly polls. The Tiwari Commission, constituted by the government and headed by former IAS officer T.P. Tiwari, submitted its report in 1984. It was previously tabled once in 1987, though several former legislators have claimed they never received copies.

A Missed Opportunity for Truth and Accountability

For many families who survived the Nellie massacre and for generations awaiting answers, the reappearance of these reports should have opened long-suppressed conversations on state actions, communal tensions, and political responsibility. Instead, the absence of any legislative debate left a sense of unfinished justice.

Both reports hold the potential to reshape longstanding narratives around the violence of 1983. But until their findings are examined and discussed publicly, key questions around accountability and reconciliation remain unanswered.

Political Timing Under Scrutiny

The government’s move has also raised questions about timing. With elections approaching and identity politics once again dominating public discourse, Opposition parties allege that the reports could be used for political ends rather than for historical reckoning. Supporters, however, argue that making the reports available is itself a significant step toward closure.

History Returns to the Assembly — But Dialogue Does Not

After four decades, documents long locked away from public view now lie before every MLA. Yet without debate or official tabling of the Tiwari report, the events of 1983 continue to linger in silence.

The people of Assam have waited more than forty years for clarity. On Tuesday, they finally got the reports — but not the answers they hoped for.

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