DIYUN/NEW DELHI, 30 Dec: Reacting to the statement of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union that Chief Minister Pema Khandu has instructed the chief secretary to conduct the census of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh, the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh (CCRCHAP) stated that the Chakmas and Hajongs will not cooperate with any “illegal census.”
“No Chakma and Hajong shall cooperate with any illegal census. Any census on them must meet the litmus test of complying with Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the 1996 Supreme Court judgment in the case of National Human Rights Commission of India vs State of Arunachal Pradesh & Anr,” CCRCHAP general secretary Santosh Chakma said in a release.
“About 95 percent of the Chakmas and Hajongs are citizens of India by birth and they cannot be discriminated in any manner. Further, the Supreme Court in its order of 1996 unequivocally stated that while the application of any individual Chakma migrant of 1964-1969 is pending consideration, the state of Arunachal Pradesh shall not evict or remove the concerned person from his occupation on the ground that he is not a citizen of India until the competent authority has taken a decision in that behalf,” CCRCHAP joint secretary Tejang Chakma said.
“The Chakmas and Hajongs reserve the right to approach the Supreme Court in case of violations of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the judgment of 1996,” added Santosh Chakma.
