Itanagar
The All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU) today served a seven days ultimatum to the state government to delete 627 Chakmas from the electoral roll of the Doimukh assembly constituency.
Addressing the media here today, the union’s president, Nabam Tado questioned the validity of enrolling Chakmas in the electoral roll, when the issue of granting citizenship to them, is still pending in the Supreme Court.
Disclosing that Chakmas are also enlisted in the electoral rolls in Changlang, Namsai and Lohit districts, he questioned the state government’s claim that all 4,637 applications from Chakma refugees for citizenship has been cancelled.
“When they are yet to be granted citizenship, how can they be enlisted in the electoral roll?” Tado asked.
He said there is also wrong perception that many of the enlisted voters are Indian citizens by birth. How can they be, Tado asked, if their parents have not been granted Indian citizenship?
The union has also demanded the state government to relocate the Chakma-Hajong refugees, who were temporarily settled at Kokila from Magoni to Changmara river, by immediately revoking its notification vide FOR 223/71, for temporary settlement of the refugees.
Tado asked the state government to either deport them or to relocate them elsewhere.
If they are allowed to settle in the present area, Tado said, “there is every possibility that they will claim ownership of the land.”
Quoting a Supreme Court judgment of 1996 pertaining to eviction, Tado said the state government can evict them given that their human rights are not violated.
“Refugees should be relocated every 5 to 10 years,” he said.
The union, in the meanwhile, has also appealed to the state government to take stern action against officials of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), for accepting the forms of four Chakma candidates, for the preliminary examinations.
Accusing the commission of gross negligence, Tado said due to such mistakes, one of the selected candidates, Marina Chakma, has dragged the commission to court.
“If the state government loses the case, it will set a bad precedent,” Tado said.
He appealed to the state government to appoint a capable and experienced lawyer immediately to represent it, saying that the hearing of the case is likely to start from December 12 next.
The union has also appealed to the state government to appoint a lawyer to represent it against one Amal Kumar Chakma and others in a case pertaining to enrolment of Chakma-Hajong refugees in the panchayati raj electoral roll.
He said if the refugees win the case, it will result in vote bank politics involving Chakma-Hajong refugees, which will be detrimental to the indigenous population of the state.
The union has also urged the state government for immediate revocation of all government notifications and orders issued by the previous state government for creation of various departments in Papum Pare district namely, DC capital complex, DDSE capital complex, DLRSO capital complex and others, in the interest of public.
The creation of these posts is creating unnecessary hurdles in the smooth functioning of the administration and cause differences among the officials, he pointed.
The state government should stop wasting funds for maintaining such provisions, Tado said adding that the government should use the manpower and funds for newly created districts.
