[Bengia Ajum]
ITANAGAR, 23 Jan: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament from Arunachal, Kiren Rijiju, exclusively spoke to this daily on wide-ranging issues.
On the highly contentious Siang upper multipurpose project, he said that the concerns of the local people will have to be addressed before the project starts.
“We are not a dictatorial government. We will have to negotiate and discuss with the affected people. Construction of big dams is always an issue as it affects large areas and habitations. Naturally, people will raise objections and seek clarity about environmental and socio-cultural impact. I understand the sentiment of people,” he said.
However, he noted that the Siang dam has to be looked at from a strategic point of view.
“China is going to construct the largest dam in the world near the Great Bend on the Siang river. There is a convention that whoever uses river resources first will have the first right. If India constructs the dam first, then the Chinese government will have to consult India before tinkering with the flow of the Siang river,” said Rijiju.
He expressed confidence that once all technicalities and economic benefits are explained, people opposing the dam will come around.
On the theory of China supporting the newly formed United Tani Army (UTA) to sabotage the proposed Siang dam,which a section of the national media has been peddling, Rijiju said he does not believe in it. “I don’t think China is backing them. If China supports a movement, it will be large and very professional. This is not a well-entrenched militant group. A few disgruntled youths are doing it,” he said.
He called upon UTA members to surrender.
“In the last 10 years, nearly ten thousand youths belonging to various militant groups in the NE region have surrendered. Most cadres are surrendering due to the focus given by PM Narendra Modi-led government in the NE region. I urge UTA members to surrender with weapons. We will take care of them,” said Rijiju.
Talking about the recent announcement of Chief Minister Pema Khandu that the state will soon frame rules and implement the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, and opposition to it by the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF), he said that the state government is duty-bound as the court has directed the government to frame rules. “Government is duty-bound as it is a court direction. The Christian community can also approach the court in this regard,” he said.
He called for proper dialogue and consultation to avoid confrontation on religious lines. “There should be proper dialogue and consultation between Christians and indigenous believers on the Freedom of Religion Act. There should not be any confrontation over religion, which is dangerous for the state. If religion is used to exclude others, it can turn dangerous. We must respect the sentiments of every religious group. We should not have a confrontation,” he said.
Regarding the slow pace of investigation into the APPSC paper leak scam, he said that the youths can talk to the government if they are not satisfied with the investigation process. “I believe the state government has done a good job in this case. But still, youths can approach and share inputs to speed up the investigation. I will also informally ask the state government for the status of the investigation,” said Rijiju.
On the offspring issue, he urged people not to make baseless allegations against anyone. “As this is a very sensitive and emotional issue, one must not level unsubstantiated allegations which can hurt people,” he said.
“Our concern should be how to protect the identity and rights of the tribes. If the offspring issue can lead to dilution of tribal status, we must take concrete steps, so that in the future tribal identity is secured. But it should be done legally and not by public shaming,” he said.
Further, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning the frontier highway project, which is his dream project.
“The frontier highway is going to be the largest road project in the history of India. It is going to be around 1,400 kilometres long and close to Rs 42,000 crores will be invested. It is going to transform the border areas of the state,” he said.
However, he expressed concern over reports that compensation issues might create obstacles in construction.
“My appeal to the people is, please don’t try to inflate bills to claim compensation. Don’t create obstructions. If a land issue comes up, it will delay projects like the Trans-Arunachal Highway,” he added.
The East-West Corridor, also known as the Industrial Corridor – another of his pet projects – is getting stalled due to compensation and forest issues, he said.
Rijiju expressed concern over the growing use of muscle and money power in student union elections in the state. “Spending crores of money in student elections is not good. This is spoiling the future of the state,” he said.
He also claimed that Arunachal is one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
“Our GDP is second highest in the NE region, next to Sikkim. Within the next decade, we can become the number one GDP state in the NE region. But if we fight on clan, religion, and communal lines, this dream will not be fulfilled. Only through peace can we achieve it. We must progress as a team in Arunachal and every tribe should get their share,” he added.
Also sharing his journey, starting from remote Naku village in West Kameng district to becoming a cabinet minister in the government of India, Rijiju said that his achievement is a matter of pride for the entire Arunachal Pradesh. “I am deeply grateful to the people of the state for allowing me to represent the state,” he said.
