Offspring issue
ITANAGAR, 23 Aug: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has expressed displeasure over the inordinate delay in publication of the draft proposal relating to the existing system of issuing APST certificates to offspring of non-APST fathers and APST mothers, even after one-and-a-half year’s time.
During a meeting with SJETA Minister Alo Libang at his civil secretariat office here on Monday, a team of the AAPSU, led by its president Hawa Bagang and general secretary Tobom Dai, along with All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) general secretary Gora Rikam Bhai stated that the “inordinate delay in publishing the basic draft proposal despite a lapse of one-and-a-half year, several sittings, verbal pleadings amply reflect the non-serious attitude of the department concerned on the all-important issue.”
The ANSU GS stated that the union has taken cognizance of the issue, and sought early tabling of the bill in the state assembly. He further stated that the union strongly supports the demand of the AAPSU in the interest of the indigenous people, and condemned the department for the delay.
The union reiterated that “lack of any functioning law to check the offspring of tribal women married to non-APST men fraudulently availing rights in the name of APST is a dangerous menace that poses a great threat to the tribal society and the union will not tolerate further delay.”
The AAPSU added that, due to relentless persuasion by the union, the state government had relented to constitute an all-party high-power committee, including members from all the political parties, the AAPSU, the AITF and the APSCW, under the chairmanship of Libang, and SJETA Secretary Niharika Rai as member secretary.
The first meeting of the high-power committee was convened on 19 February, 2020, followed by a second sitting on 29 June, 2020.
In his response, Libang informed the team that “since the member secretary is out of station and will be joining office only on the 30th of this month, the process will be expedited after that in a time-bound manner without further delay.”
