Rally demanding PRCs taken out
ITANAGAR, Feb 19: A conglomeration of 18 organisations, including the All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU), the Arunachal Law Students’ Union, the Nyishi Ethnic Students’ Association, the All Tagin Students’ Union, and the United Arunachal Indigenous People’s Forum on Tuesday served an ultimatum to the chief minister, demanding rectification in the joint high power commission’s (JHPC) recommendations on the permanent resident certificate (PRC) issue by 20 February.
The organisations said they would otherwise launch a 48-hour capital complex bandh from 21 February.
Expressing strong objection to the JHPC’s recommendations, the organisations urged the JHPC members to study the pros and cons of the report in consultation with independent experts and rectify their statements before it is submitted to the state government.
“We strongly oppose the JHPC recommendation report for issue of PRC to the non-APSTs of Changlang and Namsai and thereby recognizing the PRC granted to them shall be identified and utilized as inner line permit by them is an immature, illogical and does not bear any legality and hence, the report may be
set aside immediately also at the same the union request the state government to constitute a panel of members who are well-versed with the history and evidences on records of these non-APSTs’ reason for settlement in the state as well as these districts and accordingly may submit a report according to the stand which has been taken since long back when these non-APSTs were then allowed to settle over here on temporarily basis.
“We also demand and warn the state government as well as the JHPC to stay away from taking undue self-political interest in the issue for self-gain to raise vote banks,” the organizations stated.
Meanwhile, in a separate release, the APPDSU stated that it will observe the Statehood Day as a ‘black day’ in protest against the state cabinet’s decision to grant PRCs to non-APST communities settled in Namsai and Changlang districts.
In a related development, members of several non-APST communities of Namsai and Changlang districts, under the banner of the ‘Deprived Indigenous Communities of Namsai and Changlang District of AP’ organised a rally in Mahadevpur in Namsai district on Tuesday, seeking immediate issuance of permanent resident certificates (PRC).
Speaking to reporters during the rally, United Indigenous Peoples’ Forum of Lekang president Priyadhar Khattiya Deori said it was their “last rally before the elections.”
Deori said that during his visit on Monday, state BJP president Tapir Gao had assured that the PRC issue would be raised in the assembly session scheduled to be held from 21 to 23 February.
“While he did not guarantee a 100 percent positive result, he assured of its high chances. However, all the assurances from the government have been failures. We are fearful and even doubtful that it may fail again as we are yet to receive any kind of written document from the government,” Deori said.
He assured the government of complete support from the people of the area if PRCs are issued, but also issued a caution, saying, “We are also prepared to root out the government in the elections if it fails. This is the mandate of the deprived people of not only Lekang circle in Namsai district, but also of Lohit and Changlang districts.”
