Editor,
History shows that the next generation has always solved future problems. As time moves on, it’s essential to adapt and bring about change in society, and the youths can drive this change.
Swami Vivekananda once said, “My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation; out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem like lions.” This quote describes the impact the youths can have on society.
The aspirations of a state rest not merely on political promises or economic reforms, but on the willpower, creativity, and resilience of its youths. The youths of this state are well aware that future of democracy lies not in noisy slogans but in active participation – through social media forums, seminars, or, if needed, by taking to the streets.
The streets of Itanagar on 27 December echoed with the unified voice of Arunachal’s indigenous youths with a banner themed ‘Bangladeshi bhagao, Arunachal bachao’, which in the true sense signals a boiling point for anxieties surrounding the state’s demographic change, cultural erosion and resource strain. The voices raised by these youths demanded expulsion of alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state.
These protests, while raising legitimate concerns about demographic shifts and border security, present a complex challenge for the government – balancing indigenous rights with humanitarian concerns and legalities.
These youths aren’t just protesting; they are articulating profound fears: Unchecked migration altering the state’s delicate ethnic balance, straining land, jobs and traditional life. The demand for removing illegal unauthorised mosques and banning weekly markets that facilitate entry of people with undocumented inner line permit (ILP) underscores a deep-seated insecurity.
The recent vehicle theft syndicates, espionage, multiple numbers of sexual offences, illegal immigration, murders and drugs trafficking cases give weightage to the war-cry by these youths and their organisations.
But above all these movements, until and unless the people/citizens of this hilly state wake up from their deep slumber, nothing is going to change for sure. We have a few questions upon us as to who are those who are giving them easy passes through the check gates; who are the ones who are the local guardians of these illegal migrants in the state, and who are the ones who give them the authority to run businesses and those who give them shelter here? We all have to remember that only the government alone cannot solve all these problems and this very particular subject is under our own domain and which, if supported by all, could give birth to a new Arunachal.
There’s a lot more to give from our own, or it would be a futile run for these youths and their movements. I salute these youths for at least giving voice to this subject and do hope that our people too come into consciousness before it’s too late. Jai Hind!
Gyamde Gumja Tamin,
Camp Itanagar