Questions raised on integrity of Rijiju and Pema
ITANAGAR, Sep 16: The All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU) in a meeting on Saturday condemned Union MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju for allegedly making false statement on Chakma-Hajong refugee issue.
APPDSU quoted Rijiju as saying that conferment of citizenship rights to Chakmas and Hajongs will not grant them ST status and land rights in Arunachal Pradesh.
“In the Supreme Court judgment of 2015, it has been clearly mentioned that “Chakmas have a right to be granted citizenship subject to the procedure being followed. It also stands recognized by judicial decisions that they cannot be required to obtain any Inner Line Permit as they are settled in the State of Arunachal Pradesh,” said APDDSU while rejecting Rijiju’s statement.
Further, APPDSU said, though the SC gave the central and state governments to finalize the conferment of citizenship rights on eligible Chakmas and Hajongs within three months from the date of hearing, the state government has not yet come up with the list of eligible Chakma and Hajong refugees.
Moreover, the matter is still pending in the SC for final verdict, the students union said, while expressing doubt over the integrity of Rijiju and Chief Minister Pema Khandu led BJP Government on the issue.
“Very recently, the state government has adopted resolution to implement the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy in the state in a very hurried manner in a simple cabinet meeting,” APPDSU added.
In a joint press release on Saturday, the All Abo-tani Clan Students’ Union, Arunachal Pradesh Abo-tani Clan Youth Organization and Abo-tani Clan Elite Society have strongly opposed granting of citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees.
The organizations have stated that granting of citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees in Arunachal Pradesh will not only grant them political rights but will also have far-reaching ramifications in the social fabric of the state.
The Arunachal Naga Students’ Federation (ANSF) also opposed tooth and nail the central governments’ decision to grant citizenship rights to Chakma and Hajong refugees residing in Changlang district.
“We will not tolerate any type of atrocities and disturbances towards the Naga people residing in Tirap, Changlang and Longdingdistricts,” the ANSF resolved in a meeting at Khonsa on Friday.
Stating that not a single inch of land would be compromised with any foreign refugees, the ANSF expressed dismay over the fact that the central government did not find other places other than North East, particularly Changlang to resettle the refugees.
In another press statement, the Indigenous Faith & Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) urged that state government to verify the actual facts and figures of Chakma and Hajong refugees living in the state.
It said that random recommendation for granting citizenship to refugees would jeopardize the interest and welfare of the indigenous people of the state.
The IFCSAP expressed apprehension that the indigenous tribes of the state will be outnumbered by the refugees as the illegal migration of Chakma and Hajong refugees to the state continued unabated.
