Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 3 Jul: Home Minister Mama Natung on Saturday urged the two federal student organisations of the Nyishi community -the All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) and the All Nyishi Youth Association (ANYA) – to call off their proposed 36-hour bandh from 12 to 13 August.
The home minister chaired a joint meeting on Saturday with both ANSU and ANYA representatives, along with all Nyishi legislators who were present.
Speaking to this daily, Natung said that the government had already responded to the ANSU last year, and if they had any further concerns or were disappointed with the response, they should have written back to the government instead of announcing a bandh. Due to the model code of conduct and the elections, the matter had to be sidelined, he said.
The government has already addressed the 10-point demands, and whenever there is policy-making, the unions can always contribute their suggestions and grievances, he added.
“We are soon going to celebrate Independence Day on 15 August, and the proposed bandh may disrupt the celebration,” the minister said. The govern-ment’s priority is stability of the state and ensuring that there is no loss of public properties or lives, which is likely during bandh calls, and appealed to the organisations to call off the bandh.
He added that if the organisations are not satisfied with the government’s response, they have every right to place their grievances.
ANSU president Nabam Dodum, speaking with the media, informed that the government has given them two days to come up with additional suggestions that can be included in their demands.
“We are yet to send our proposals and suggestions that can be incorporated into our demands. If the government listens to our demands, we will call off our proposed 36-hour bandh. If not, we will proceed with the bandh,” said Dodum.
“We will send the policies in writing to the government, and if we do not receive a satisfactory response, we will go ahead with the bandh. We may take three days to revert back to the government,” he said.
ANYA president Jamru Ruja informed this daily that the ANYA supports the government’s response by holding the meeting with the two groups. “Our stance is now clear: we oppose the bandh call as the government has held a meeting with us today and listened to our demands.” He also clarified why the ANYA supported the bandh call initially: an invitation was sent by the ANSU, as both student bodies are part of the Nyishi Elite Society. “We are not demanding scrapping of the APUAPA but rather modifications to some clauses. The APUAPA is intended to protect public property, but it is often used against protesters,” he added.
The demands of the organisations include immediate repeal of the Arunachal Pradesh District-Based Entrepreneur and Professional (Incentive Development and Promotion) Act, 2015; restrictions on non-indigenous contractors participating in development projects for Arunachal under the road transport and highways ministry, the NHIDCL, the BRO, etc, and increase in the bidding capacity of Class-I contractors registered under the government of Arunachal Pradesh up to a capacity of Rs 200 crores, enabling them to participate in upcoming projects.
The ANSU has also called for the revitalisation and comprehensive improvement of government schools through public-private partnership model to rejuvenate the state’s decaying government-run schools.
Their other demands include mandatory introduction of moral education as a subject up to the eighth grade; compulsory involvement of private and public companies in schools’ development, and immediate establishment of a mechanism for clean elections.
The union in its 10-point demands had also accused the NHPC of acting against the interests of Arunachal and attempting to dilute Article 371H and the USF in court.
The ANSU had also urged the state government to oppose the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023.