| Staff REPORTER |
ITANAGAR, Jul 26: The Yobin Tribe Fundamental Rights Forum (YTFRF) has asserted that the Yobin community is a recognised Scheduled Tribe (ST) of Arunachal Pradesh and said no authority can deny its constitutional status.
Addressing the media here on Sunday, YTFRF general secretary Aphu A Ngwazah said the Yobin tribe enjoys the same constitutional recognition as other indigenous tribes of the state.
He claimed that the community is recognised under the Presidential Scheduled Tribes Order applicable to the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh, under Article 342(1) of the Constitution. He also referred to discussions of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), stating that the Yobin tribe had been recognised during the NEFA period under the category of "All Tribes of the Union Territory."
Ngwazah said thousands of Yobin people, particularly in the Vijaynagar area, possess valid Scheduled Tribe certificates issued by the competent authorities. Therefore, he maintained, no authority can exclude or deny the community its ST status.
He informed that the Forum has recently submitted a representation to the Arunachal Pradesh Government seeking to remove any confusion regarding the tribe's Scheduled Tribe status.
Highlighting the community's contribution to the state, Ngwazah said the Yobin people have played an important role in the development and welfare of Arunachal Pradesh. He added that two members of the community had received State Awards for their contribution to international boundary demarcation.
The Forum stressed the need to preserve the Yobin community's unique cultural identity, protect its traditional rights and ensure due recognition of its historical presence in the region.
Ngwazah also pointed out that the geographically isolated Yobin-inhabited areas continue to lag behind in terms of road connectivity, education and other basic infrastructure. While appreciating the initiatives of the present government, he expressed hope that developmental gaps would be addressed in the coming years.
The Forum further highlighted the strategic importance of Yobin-inhabited border areas and appealed to the government and concerned authorities to safeguard the interests, identity and welfare of the indigenous Yobin people.