Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 23: The people of Kangku circle in Lower Siang district, led by the Galo Peoples’ Federation (GPF) on Saturday vowed to stir a ‘civil disobedience’ movement if their demand for a road to the circle is not addressed.
“We will launch a civil disobedience movement by surrendering our voter cards to the State Election Commission if our voice is not heard,” said Dajo Ngomle, a ‘No Road, No Vote’ campaigner.
“Road connectivity to Kangku circle has always been in the election manifesto of every political leader, but it never materialized at the ground level,” Ngomle said, adding that western parliamentarian Kiren Rijiju had also given assurance about building a road to Kangku circle during his Lok Sabha election campaign.
Addressing press persons at the press club here, GPF President Nyaadar Loya alleged that the ruling BJP in the state attempted to derail their ‘No Road, No Vote’ movement “by pumping huge amounts of money into Durpai, Torajan, Richerite, and Sogum Mingmang polling stations and compelling innocent people to vote” on Thursday.
He, however, did not substantiate his claims.
The ‘No Road, No Vote’ campaigners also denied being affiliated to any political party, or having any form of political backing.
“Our movement is clean, with the sole objective of having road connectivity to Kangku circle,” Loya said, clarifying that the campaigners have no hidden agenda.
Speaking about the situation along the foothill villages in Kangku, Dolok Bango Welfare Society President, Tagi Yongam, informed that work on laying the BSNL cable line (under the Digital India project) along the Arunachal Pradesh forest patrol road has also been halted by the people of Assam.
He appealed to the state government to look into matter.
The voters of Kangku circle boycotted five polling booths during the by-election to the Likabali assembly constituency on Thursday as part of their ‘No Road, No Vote’ campaign. Out of the nine polling stations there, votes were cast at only four.
The circle has 24 villages, all located in the foothill area of the Assam-Arunachal boundary.
