ITANAGAR, 17 Feb: The People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has called for “fresh dialogue regarding the defective Statehood Act of 1987 enshrined in Article 371 H of the Indian Constitution” which it says is “hollow and empty.”
“It doesn’t hold anything worthwhile for the indigenous people of the state in terms of the ownership rights over its land, rivers, forests and minerals within the territory of the state,” it said.
“This is an Act passed by the Union Parliament without the constitutional backing of the state assembly, which is why it had overlooked to accommodate the genuine concerns and the popular grievances of the indigenous people of this tribal state,” the PPA said.
“The Act of the state be amended in the Union Parliament and the state be provided with the Constitutional Rights akin to Articles 371 A and 371 G of the states of Nagaland and Mizoram respectively”, it said.
The PPA also called for introspection on the strength and viability of the continued relevance of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) 1873 for this frontier state.
“With doubts and fear of the Citizenship Amendment Act looming large over the people of the region, it is time the people of the state genuinely voice in unison for the BEFR to be given the status of a Parliamentary Act,” it said.
