The report of a non-APST citizen forging schedule caste (CS) and birth certificates from Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh is an eye-opener. The person submitted the forged documents while applying for service in the paramilitary force SSB. Had it not been for an alert SSB official, he may have landed the job using the forged documents. The allegation of acquiring fake certificates by outsiders to get jobs is nothing new. Earlier also, such kind of allegations have made the rounds on social media.
Such allegations have mostly surfaced from districts like Namsai, Lohit and Changlang, which have huge non-APST populations. However, this is the first time that someone has been caught red-handed while trying to pass off forged documents. Let this be a wake-up call for the state government. First of all, a proper investigation should be done in the Namsai case. The person who forged the documents should be arrested and punished for the heinous crime. Besides, the government should pass strict instructions to the deputy commissioners and other certificate issuing authorities to ensure proper checking prior to issuing any new certificates. The state government should also write to various central government agencies and educate them about the state. In the Namsai case, the person produced an SC certificate from Arunachal, whereas the state being 100 percent tribal, the question of having SCs does not arise. As the majority of allegations of acquiring fake certificates come from certain districts of eastern Arunachal, the authorities should look into it and look out for ways to end such unscrupulous activities.