[Bengia Ajum]
ITANAGAR, 3 Feb: After being detained for nine months in connection with the Vijaynagar violence, All Yobin Students’ Union (AYSU) president Ngwazosa Yobin was released on 28 January this year from the Changlang sub-jail.
Violence had rocked Vijaynagar in Changlang district on 12 December, 2020 over the issuing of the right to the retired Gorkha soldiers settled there since the 1960s to contest in the panchayat elections.
The AYSU had organized a rally to protest against the participation of Gorkha settlers in the panchayat election. The protest resulted in large-scale violence. Many important government offices, including that of the IB and the R&AW, were burnt down by the protestors.
Ngwazosa was initially arrested for his alleged involvement in the violence. After spending three months at the Jully jail here, he managed to get bail.
“The moment I stepped out of Jully jail, the state government, without informing me, my family, or my lawyer, booked me under the National Security Act (NSA) and took me to the Changlang sub-jail,” said Ngwazosa.
He alleged that the state government “acted like a dictatorial regime and ill-treated the members of AYSU.”
“Just because we opposed the decision of the state government to continue to give panchayat rights to the settlers, I was treated like a hardcore criminal, which I am not. If this trend continues, tomorrow every Arunachalee who opposes the wrong policies of the government will be wrongfully detained under the NSA,” he said.
Ngwazosa strongly denied the allegation that he had instigated the Vijaynagar violence. “We wanted to conduct a peaceful rally. But some people who were part of the rally turned violent. The frustration among the Yobin community has been growing over the issue of giving land and panchayat rights to the settlers. Instead of resolving the matter, the state government kept ignoring our pleas,” he said.
However, he expressed regret over the violence.
“We very much regret the violence. People should remember that, prior to the violence, for months we had held hunger strikes and peaceful dharna in Itanagar, seeking immediate cancellation of panchayat rights to the settlers. We never advocated violence,” Ngwazosa claimed.
He alleged that the state government launched propaganda against the AYSU by circulating messages that the union had sought removal of the settlers from Vijaynagar.
“We never demanded that the settlers be thrown out of Vijaynagar. The AYSU only sought cancellation of the panchayati rights given to the settlers. Arunachal is a tribal state and Vijaynagar is a tribal area. Why should settlers get panchayati right?” he questioned.
The AYSU president further said that the decision regarding shifting of the settlers from Vijaynagar to another place should be taken based on the constitutional provision.
“Arunachal is a tribal state and non-APSTs have no land rights. The settlers were settled on a lease. When the lease period ends, the state government will have to take a decision in the interest of the tribal community of Arunachal,” he said.
Ngwazosa said that, if the state government does not take “corrective measures” regarding the panchayat issue, the Yobin community would continue to peacefully struggle and fight for their rights.
“This is not only a battle of Yobin tribe. It is for the whole of Arunachal,” he said.
