NAMSAI, Oct 26: Two persons have been arrested in connection with the arson that occurred in Namsai district recently.
Miscreants torched 14 houses in a new settlement in Mabira area, near Khai-Hay Nallah, under the Tengapani reserve forest, between 12 and 15 October.
The situation took a turn for the worse on Friday as protesters clashed with paramilitary forces on Jengthu bridge during a rally organised by the Adi Students’ Union (AdiSU).
A peace delegation headed by Health Minister Alo Libang and MLAs Ninong Ering and Chau Zignu Namchoom rushed to Namsai district on Saturday morning. The team visited the incident sites and met the affected families.
The peace delegation also had a meeting with the leaders of the Adi Baane Kebang (ABK), the Tai Khamti Singpho Council (TKSC), and the Namsai district administration.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein in a joint press conference here on Saturday evening urged the people of both the communities to maintain peace and tranquillity.
Stating that the Adi and the Khamti Singpho have a long history of peaceful coexistence, Mein appealed to the people of both the communities to “not let the bond of brotherhood get distorted by situations created by some miscreants with vested interests.”
He said he is in constant touch with the students and community leaders of both the communities.
Mein appealed to the community-based organizations of the state, especially the ABK and the TKSC, to intervene and ensure peace and tranquillity.
He also asked the district administration to arrest all the culprits involved in the incident, and to take action as per the law.
The DCM appealed to the members of the AdiSU and the All Tai Khamti Singpho Students’ Union to sit together and come to a peaceful solution.
Libang and Namsai MLA Chau Zignu Namchoom were also present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Bamang Felix has directed the Namsai DC to extend immediate relief to the affected families, and requested the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum to intervene in the matter.
The state government has also urged all stakeholders, including community-based organizations, political parties, student unions, youths, and others, to ensure communal harmony, peace and tranquillity in the area, and assured of initiating strict action under the law against the culprits.
Meanwhile, Arunachal East MP and state BJP president, Tapir Gao, informed that an SIT has been constituted in the matter, and that “it has arrested two persons so far, involved in the Mabira arson case, under Section 436/427/325/341 IPC.”
Expressing pain over the incident, Gao appealed to all to maintain peace and harmony and let the law take its own course.
“I assure all the aggrieved families and citizens of the eastern parliamentary constituency that the government shall take all necessary steps to address this issue in the best possible manner,” he said.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union has also appealed to the Adi Students’ Union and the All Tai Khamti Singpho Students’ Union to maintain peace, tranquillity and brotherhood among themselves in the aftermath of the skirmish and the burning down of houses in Namsai district.
“Communal exaggeration and exertion in the long run won’t yield any fruitful results, as is evident from past instances; rather it would bring more mistrust and disharmony among the people of the two communities. Hence, we appeal to the student leaders of both the communities to sit across the table and search for a peaceful solution in the greater interest of both the communities and for the state as a whole,” the AAPSU said.
Stating that the matter, if not resolved, “has the potential to flare up communal tensions in Namsai district,” the union urged the state government to intervene without any further delay, so that peace and tranquillity are maintained in Namsai district.
“We also appeal to both sides to refrain from circulating provocative messages in the social media,” the AAPSU added. (With DCMO input)
