Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Sep 22: The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) on Friday strongly opposed the recent developments on the refugee issues in the state and demanded a special assembly session.
On the Chakma-Hajong citizenship issue, it said that it did not object to granting citizenship to them, but objected to them being granted rights at par with the indigenous people of the state.
“No other tribe in the state other than those mentioned under the 6th schedule should be entertained as indigenous tribe”, it said and alleged the Supreme Court of giving a biased decision.
It also said that no amendment to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 would be accepted.
Claiming that Minister of State for home affairs has been inconsistent with his statements on the Chakma-Hajong refugee issue, the AITF demanded a written statement on it so that he does not change it time and again.
Objecting to the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014, the AITF demanded its immediate roll back, reasoning that its implementation would affect the indigenous people socially and economically. It also went on to claim that the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy was crafted by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.
Further, the AITF demanded immediate roll back of the proposal for creation of 100 Bodhi language teachers and instead asked for other state indigenous language teachers to be placed as third language teachers in schools.
The Forum also brought up the issue of the Greenfield Airport and urged that the land finalized for the airport at Hollongi be transferred to the Airports Authority of India so that work could begin at the earliest.
