ITANAGAR, Dec 18: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has urged the state government to implement the outcome of the all-party meeting on the Chakma-Hajong refugees issue ‘and the purported move by the Government of India for granting them citizenship rights.’
The all-party meeting was convened on 19 June.
The union said the one-point resolution adopted by all the political parties – and the AAPSU’s opposition to granting citizenship rights to the Chakma and Hajong refugees in Arunachal Pradesh – should be published immediately.
It also called for constituting a state level core committee on the refugee issue – to be headed by the chief minister – and reconstituting the joint high-power committee under the union Home Affairs ministry.
A delegation of the AAPSU, led by its President Hawa Bagang and General Secretary Tobom Dai, submitted a memorandum in this regard to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday.
The students called for a special enumeration of Chakma and Hajong refugees ‘to know the exact demography, identify illegal migrants, and identify illegal settlement in reserve forest areas.’
The students also asked the government to withdraw the notification regarding enhancement of the retirement age from 58 to 60 years ‘within 15 days.’
It also called for a full-fledged, functional Border Affairs department.
‘It is pathetic to see that the department has not achieved the requisite growth it was created for,’ the AAPSU stated in a press release.
It said the inadequacies of the department was reflected in the recent Dollungmukh eviction, and urged the government to empower the department with an independent commissioner, secretary, director and other staff.
The union also sought infrastructure development and human resources for the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.
