LONGDING, 17 Feb: The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) has suggested bringing out “a comprehensive policy through legislation with abundant and sharpened legal teeth to deal with the issue concerning children of non-APST fathers and APST mothers.”
AITF vice president (HQ) Tarh Tabin, while attending the Oriah festival of the Wancho community here on Monday, stated that the AITF is aware that the issue has high propensity to create law and order problem in the state, and that there is also probability of misuse by unscrupulous elements.
“The AITF is equally apprehensive of unpleasant ramifications of paternal non-APST in the long run, because of the precarious demography of the state with just about 10 lakh tribal population. To deal with such issue in the coming days, we need to bring out a house, gram segment-, sector-, ward-, village-, circle- and district-wise dossier of paternal non-APST through the district administrations for a comprehensive policy through legislation with abundant and sharpened legal teeth.
The piecemeal type of pick and choose modus operandi of complaints by personal and vindictive attitude, filing FIRs from lesser known organisations and individuals with doubtful credentials must be stopped forthwith, till the dossier is brought out by the government,” Tabin added.
Tabin in his address spoke also about the AITF’s recent initiatives on issues like drug addiction, school adoption programme, development of healthcare in the state, etc.
“The AITF has decided to launch a rigorous anti-drug campaign for ensuring a drug-free Arunachal in the long run. Also, as a partner to the government in manpower planning on the principle of bhagidari system, the AITF adopted 12 schools in the first phase in September 2024, two schools in the second phase in November 2024 and the third phase is under consideration for finalisation. For this purpose, the model byelaws and model memorandum of association under the framework of the robust guidelines for AITF school adoption programme has already been circulated to the entire federating apex CBOs,” he informed.
The event was attended also by AITF general secretary Tapi Tai.
