DIYUN, 22 Dec: the Committee for Citizenship Rights of Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh (CCRCHAP) has rejected the Arunachal Pradesh Government’s relocation plan and the census, and asked for the prime minister’s intervention for finding a permanent and honourable solution to the 57-year-old Chakma-Hajong issue by providing them their rights within the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the CCRCHAP pointed out: “Since the very beginning, the Chakma Community Based Organisations (CBOs) have strongly opposed the proposal of the state government to relocate the 65,000 Chakmas and Hajongs outside the state of Arunachal Pradesh.”
“If the permanent solution is sought to be achieved by the Government of India by expelling the Chakmas and Hajongs from state of Arunachal Pradesh, then the idea is abhorrent and totally unacceptable to us, since it is going to be neither honourable nor permanent solution. Without involving Chakma and Hajong CBOs, the state government has announced
conducting a census on the two communities. We have already rejected the plan of relocation and the illegal census and sought for amicable solution by involving Chakma CBOs. Such actions of relocation is not only inhuman but will also lead to aggravating of our sufferings and human rights violations which we have been facing for the last 57 years,” the CCRCHAP’s memorandum to the PM stated.
“Since 90 to 95 percent of the Chakmas and Hajongs have been born in Arunachal Pradesh and are citizens by birth, their eviction cannot be an honourable or permanent solution,” CCRCHAP president Subimal Bikash Chakma said.
Terming the relocation move a gross violation of the 1996 Supreme Court judgement in the case of the National Human Rights Commission Versus the State of Arunachal Pradesh, the CCRCHAP asked Prime Minister Modi to direct the state government of Arunachal Pradesh to immediately withdraw the purported plan of relocation and the “illegal census” of the Chakmas and Hajongs.
“No Chakma and Hajong is an illegal migrant in Arunachal Pradesh. Since the Government of India had permanently settled the Chakmas and Hajongs in then NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) under ‘definite plan of rehabilitation’ in 1964-69, the Government of India should urgently find a permanent and honourable solution to the issue within the state of Arunachal Pradesh and never outside of Arunachal Pradesh. A permanent and honourable solution can be easily found by implementing the Supreme Court judgement of 1996 and 2015, the judgement of the Guwahati High Court in AAPSU v/s Election Commission of India of 2013 and the guidelines passed by the Election Commission of India,” Subimal added.
The CCRCHAP informed the PM that “the Chakmas and Hajongs had been the worst victims of partisan and were legally settled by the Government of India in consultation with erstwhile NEFA administration (now Arunachal Pradesh) during 1964-69, and lands were allotted in consultation with local tribes which is clearly in consonance with section 7 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.”
It also pointed out that the Gauhati High Court in AAPSU v/s Election Commission of India , in 2013 held that Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873 is not applicable to the Chakma-Hajongs, stating that “once they are allowed to settle in AP, it would be deemed that such permits (Inner Line Permit) had been granted to them and in our considered opinion, any other view would negate and defeat the policy decision taken by the Government in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh Govt authorities to settle the Chakmas in AP.”
The CCRCHAP has also written to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on similar lines asking the state government to withdraw the relocation plan as well as the census.
“The CCRCHAP laments that the state government is trying to impose unilateral decisions upon the Chakmas and Hajongs which are not for their well-being. No Chakma and Hajong CBOs have been consulted or invited for consultation by the state government,” the CCRCHAP’s memorandum said, and asked the chief minister to invite the representatives of the Chakma and Hajong CBOs, which are based in the state, for dialogue. At the same time, the committee made it clear that “the permanent solution should be found within the state of Arunachal Pradesh only.”
