Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 16 Aug: The BJP’s Arunachal Pradesh general secretary (organisation), Ananta Narayan Mishra, appeared before the crime branch SP on Tuesday to give his statement over the FIR [u/s 120(B)/153(A)/295A/34 IPC] lodged against him by the Simong Community Youth Association (SYCA) at the Yingkiong police station in Upper Siang district on 3 August, accusing him and a few others of “violating peace and tranquillity by indulging in unlawful activities at the disputed Eko Dumbing/Riwotala area” in the district.
Mishra was summoned by the Upper Siang district police. The SCYA alleged that the persons mentioned in the FIR violated the agreement reached between the Adi and the Memba-Khamba communities, at the initiative of the state government, to maintain peace by refraining from carrying out any kind of activity in the disputed Eko Dumbing/Riwotala area.
Eko Dumbing, also known as Riwotala, is a three-day trek away from Yingkiong. The area is considered a sacred place by both the Memba-Khamba Buddhist communities and the Adi community of Upper Siang. There is a running dispute between the tribes, and the administration has banned any kind of activities in the area due to constant religious disputes.
In October last year, Buddhist religious structures constructed at the site were burnt down by miscreants. The local Buddhist communities lodged an FIR and the police arrested five people.
