Assamese people dispute over the definition of Assamese people, in general; the people belonging to the state of Assam are referred as Assamese people. The lack of a definition has put stumbling blocks in implementing "clause 6" of the Assam Accord, an agreement signed by the activists of the Assam Movement and the Government of India in 1985. Since a legal definition is important to provide "constitutional, legislative and cultural" safeguards to the Assamese people, the Government of Assam had formed a ministerial committee to finalize the definition in March 2007. To address the "clause 6" issue, AASU had announced a definition
Assamese cuisine so common in Indian cooking, is absent in the cuisine of Assam.) The preferred oil for cooking is the pungent mustard oil. A traditional meal in Assam begins with a "khar", a class of dishes named after the main ingredient, and ends with a "tenga", a sour dish. The food is usually served in bell metal utensils made by an indigenous community called Mariya. The belief is that when food and water is served in such utensils its good for health and boost up immunity. "Tamul" (betel nut, generally raw) and "paan" generally concludes the meal. Though still obscure, this