Ahead of the statehood day celebration, six members of the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC) – its chairman Techi Puru, vice chairman Tadak Nalo, Techi Rana, Marge Kamnyi, Takar Rai and Hage Butung – were detained for 24 hours. The PAJSC had called for a statewide boycott of the Statehood Day celebration to protest what they claimed to be “non-fulfillment” of their 13-point demands with regard to the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak issue by the state government. The detention of the PAJSC members was uncalled for.
The right to protest is part of our democratic rights. Unless someone resorts to violent methods, everyone has the right to protest in a democracy. By detaining the PAJSC members, the state government has exhibited sheer arrogance and utter lack of respect for democratic rights. This does not augur well for the democratic setup. Instead of detaining them, the government should conduct discussions with the PAJSC members and hear their grievances. There is no denying that the government has fulfilled some of the demands of the PAJSC. However, wherever there is the demand that the government should engage in a dialogue with the PAJSC members and try to resolve it. Arresting and harassing them won’t solve the problem. It only further alienates them.