Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Nov 7: The All Namsai Area Youth Association (ANAYA) has called for peace in Namsai district, in the aftermath of the recent burning down of four houses and a shop in Mabira and New Mabira villages there by miscreants.
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Press Club here on Thursday, ANAYA president Chow Kyawon Singkai informed that the persons involved in the arson have been arrested and are behind bars.
“Let the police investigate the matter which is in the process,” Singkai said, adding that the matter was being given a communal colour.
He, however, rejected the claim that 14 houses and a community hall in New Mabira had been torched on 12 October, and said the act had been “carried out by the forest department as an eviction drive on the illegally encroached forest land.”
“There is no village called New Mabira. And the names of the victims in the list are all encroachers,” Singkai declared.
It may be mentioned here that in 2016, the Tengapani range forest officer had filed an offence report against the people of the area which is being called New Mabira village.
In May 2018, the Namsai DFO had issued an eviction notice for dismantling the houses in the area.
