NEW DELHI/DIYUN, 28 Mar: The Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students’ Union (APCSU) on Monday condemned the proposed “illegal census” of only the Chakmas of Chongkham circle in Namsai district.
The census process reportedly started on 28 March, pursuant to a circular issued by the Chongkham EAC to this effect on 24 March.
“This is the second attempt by the EAC to conduct the illegal census of only the Chakmas, which amounts
to racial profiling. Last month, the EAC first directed the gaon burahs of the Chakma villages under her jurisdiction to conduct the census. When the effort failed, she summoned GB Sushil Chakma and 10 other Chakma individuals for a survey of the Chakma residents in Chongkam circle. In the meeting, the Chakma participants were allegedly intimidated and asked to cooperate with the survey without fail,” the union stated in a release.
It said that the EAC’s circular violated the order of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), issued on 24 January, “in which the NHRC called for action taken reports from the union home secretary and the chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh, and directed to ensure that human rights of Chakmas and Hajongs are protected by all the ways,” APCSU president Rup Singh Chakma said.
“As citizens of India, the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh will not participate in any such illegal census of only the Chakmas and Hajongs,” he added.
