[Prafulla Kaman]
RUKSIN, 3 Jul: The descendants of late public interpreter (PI) Eda Moyong alias Ada Moyong, who sacrificed his life for the country, are still waiting for the state government to recognize their forefather’s name as martyr of the land.
Born in 1910, Moyong had grown up in Adi Pasi village in the present Upper Siang district. He had joined as a PI in 1945 and discharged his duty till his death. He died in Tuting near the India-China border during the Chinese aggression while leading an Assam Rifles troop deployed at the border.
Notably, the NEFA government could not hand over the mortal remains of Moyong to his family, which remains a concern for family members.
Orik Moyong, one of the grandsons of Eda Moyong, has approached the state’s Home and Social Justice & Empowerment and Tribal Affairs (SJETA) Departments to take necessary steps for declaring his grandfather as a martyr.
Petitioner Orik Moyong, a resident of Debing village in East Siang district, has been pursuing the matter with the state government to declare his grandfather as a martyr, but the issue has been pending in the government’s office for the past 10 years.
The East Siang DC, following the state government’s instruction, collected necessary information about late Eda Moyong from his contemporaries and officials of Upper Siang and West Siang districts, and forwarded it to the SJETA director for necessary action.
In addition, the petitioner approached the MLAs of East Siang district, the MP from east Arunachal, and even the chief minister from time to time. He has also submitted a petition to Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who is also the chairman of the State Core Committee for Unsung Heroes, but to no avail.
The petitioner lamented that the state government functionaries are wilfully neglecting the issue, thereby showing an utter disregard to a martyr who sacrificed his life to save his countrymen.
“The state and central governments have already declared several persons as ‘freedom fighter’ and ‘unsung heroes’ of the state, but Moyong, who sacrificed his life during the Chinese aggression, has not been taken into consideration,” Orik Moyong rued. He pleaded with the state government to complete the pending process before the upcoming Independence Day.
In a recent development, the petitioner collected additional evidence about late Moyong from the Indian Army (56 Artillery Brigade, stationed at Sigar in East Siang district) and submitted it to the SJETA director’s office in Itanagar.
According to the records preserved by the Army, PI Eda Moyong was posted in Tuting in 1957. He played a crucial role during the India-China war in 1962.
The Army record reads: “During the 1962 India-China war, Eda Moyong, a political interpreter from Arunachal Pradesh, played a crucial role. Posted in Tuting in 1957, Moyong assisted in the construction of a strategic helipad near the border. Despite falling ill, he remained on site, eventually dying between 20 and 28 September, 1962. Despite his sacrifice, formal recognition for Moyong’s contribution has not been granted. His bravery and dedication deserve national acknowledgement.”
