Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 5 Mar: As the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) gears up to celebrate the 6th edition of the inter-tribe festival, former AAPSU president Takam Tatung expressed hope that the glorious history of the apex student body will be properly depicted during the event. In a statement, Tatung emphasized that the contributions of every AAPSU leader and activist should be remembered during the mega inter-tribe festival. During his tenure, the 5th edition of the inter-tribe festival was organized. He also spoke about the importance of the festival and how, in the past, it provided a platform for talented individuals.
“Chum Darang became Miss AAPSU when I was the president in 2010. AAPSU provided her with a platform, and today we are so proud to see her achieving national fame because of her hard work,” said Tatung. He also shared various initiatives taken during his tenure as president.
“It was during my tenure that we first demanded that JNC Pasighat be turned into a state university, and we strongly advocated for the establishment of NIT Jote. We also appealed to the government of India to form an Arunachal regiment in the army. Because of our demand, the then defence minister A.K Antony, accepted the proposal to form the Arunachal Scout,” Tatung added.
On the issue of stapled visas being issued to Arunachali citizens by China, Tatung said that despite several protests, the issue persists. “The AAPSU team met with then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in Delhi and sought his intervention. We were assured that definite steps would be taken, but the issue has not been resolved,” he added.
Furthermore, Tatung highlighted the steps taken during his tenure regarding the Chakma and Hajong refugees. “During my tenure, I convinced the government of India to constitute a ‘High Power Committee’ to look into the Chakma-Hajong refugee issue. The government of India conceded to my approach and constituted the committee on 10th August 2010, under the chairmanship of Shambhu Singh, Home Secretary (NE In charge), government of India. The committee included triangular participation from AAPSU, the Chakma-Hajong Rights Group, the government of Arunachal Pradesh, and representatives from the government of India, as mediators,” informed Tatung.
“We conducted two meetings, wherein the Chakma and Hajong representatives assured our team and the mediators that they would remain within their designated blocks. They promised to refrain from wandering beyond their permitted space and never create any nuisance to the disadvantage of the local indigenous populace,” Tatung said.
