ITANAGAR, 13 Dec: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has expressed deep anguish over the recent violence and mayhem that occurred in Vijaynagar circle of Changlang district, and appealed for peace.
Terming the incident an unfortunate one, the AAPSU said, “The burning down of EAC office is against the larger interest of state. Such office situated at strategic location in international border maintaining administrative records is important component of the country’s administration. The AAPSU never advocates the unfortunate incident of vandalism.”
Appealing to all the communities for peace and tranquillity in the area, it said, “Peace and tranquillity should be maintained at all times as violence has never brought solution to any of the problems plaguing mankind.”
At the same time, the AAPSU squarely put the major responsibility for the escalation of the problem on the state government, saying the government was “not being reciprocative to the sentiment of the Yobin community of the area.”
“There is a need for self-retrospection and soul searching on part of the authorities as to why members from the Yobin community were compelled to take such extreme measures. The Yobin community has been agitating and resorting to peaceful democratic protests against non-inclusion of settlers and non-APSTs under PRI since last many years with numerous dharnas, hunger strikes, etc, even being held in Itanagar,” it pointed out, and sought a more direct approach by the state government and engagement with the Yobin community on the vexed issue.
The union reminded the state government of similar existing problems in other assembly constituencies and said that “consistent disregard for the indigenous peoples’ rights and aspirations may invite more such happenings in the near future, as well.”
The union urged the state government to seriously view the entire issue relating to the conferment of panchayati rights on the non-locals and also to immediately take up the union’s previous demand for immediate amendment of the Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Rules.
It further appealed to the Yobin leaders to check influx in the area.
