ITANAGAR, Sep 5: The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes’ Forum (AITF) and All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) have condemned the reported attack on members of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing at Bordumsa in Changlang district on Friday.
The AITF, in an executive virtual meeting held on Friday night, termed the incident a serious matter and alleged that the attack posed a threat to the demographic, constitutional and political interests of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Forum strongly opposed any attempt to enrol refugees or other ineligible persons in the State’s electoral rolls and called for the SIR exercise to be conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution, applicable laws and prescribed eligibility criteria.
The AITF also urged the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the incident, identify those responsible and ensure the safety of all representatives and stakeholders participating in the SIR process.
Meanwhile, ANSU president Ashok Doka also condemned the alleged attack and demanded a fair and time-bound investigation. The union expressed concern that one of its primary members, who was part of the AAPSU team, sustained injuries during the incident.
The ANSU said violence against student activists and indigenous people was “highly condemnable and unacceptable” and asserted that attacks on its members engaged in serving the interests of the State would not be tolerated.
Doka urged the leadership of the refugee community to respect the sentiments of Arunachal’s indigenous people and called upon all sides to refrain from actions that could aggravate tensions or undermine peaceful coexistence.
ANSU demanded that all persons found involved in the alleged violence be identified and prosecuted according to law. It also called upon the Centre and the State government to take decisive steps towards resolving the long-pending Chakma-Hajong refugee issue while safeguarding the constitutional and legal interests of indigenous communities.
Both organisations stressed the need for a peaceful, lawful and lasting resolution to the issue and urged stakeholders to exercise restraint while allowing the SIR process to proceed without intimidation or violence.