[Tako Tarak & Taro Yaring]
ITANAGAR/AAlo, Dec 19: Hundreds of youths, including representatives from Rajiv Gandhi University, took out a silent candlelight march from the IG Park tennis court to the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday evening.
The march, organised by the United Arunachal Indigenous People’s Forum (UAIPF), was staged to express solidarity with those who died during the protests in Assam, Tripura and other parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
The UAIPF said the march was held also to express grief over the lives lost “through state-propagated violence in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura,” and to show unconditional support to the indigenous people’s fight against the CAA.
“The march is in solidarity with the people who died in the wake of the CAA protests in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and other parts of India. There shall be no slogan, no shouting; rather, our silence would be a message to those who lost their lives for the cause of the indigenous people,” UAIPF president Laffe Paffa told media persons earlier.
The youths demanded that the government revoke the CAA and respect the constitution of India.
“If Assam is overpopulated, where would they go? They would directly come to Arunachal. Our leaders are talking about ILP. Today, the constitution is under attack and the core value of secularism is under attack. How would they respect ILP?” said Agnes Linko, one of the protestors.
“Many educated youth are still not well-acquainted with own culture in Arunachal. Now we are realizing that we should protect and save our own identity. How would we able to protect our identity if we are marginalized?” she added.
A similar candlelight march was also held in West Siang HQ Aalo by scores of youths there. The marchers voluntarily came out to express solidarity with the people of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura in opposing the CAA, and expressed grief over those who lost their lives in the anti-CAA protests.
The youths condemned the repressive policy of the government and the en masse arrest spree against protestors, mostly students, in different parts of the country.
