Demand for Mon Autonomous Council, having no constitutional standing with Arunachal Pradesh in 5th Schedule- NPP
India being a democratic nation, anyone could demand anything for which no leaders could be blamed, said both Gicho Kabak and Nima Sangey Saling. .
Itanagar: The demand for Mon Autonomous Council (MAC), having no constitutional standing with Arunachal Pradesh in 5th Schedule of the Constitution of India, said state National People’s Party (NPP) President Gicho Kabak and Vice President Nima Sangey Saling.
The duo in a statement on Wednesday said that any political upheaval for this issue would never go in larger interest of this state.
The MAC covering Tawang and West Kameng districts and Patkai Autonomous Council (PAC) covering Tirap and Changlang districts (Longding now) were floated for political reason in December 2003 to topple then state Govt headed by Chief Minister Gegong Apang. Apang with his political wisdom had facilitated its approval in the state assembly as a resolution on 16th February 2004, they said.
It is worth mentioning here that since then all CMs, including Mukut Mithi, Dorjee Khandu, Jarbom Gamlin and Nabam Tuki had dittoed it for which present CM Khandu cannot be blamed for it.
India being a democratic nation, anyone could demand anything for which no leaders could be blamed, said both Gicho Kabak and Nima Sangey Saling. .
There are examples of granting autonomous council in Northeast – three in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura – because those states are under 6th Schedule of Constitution of India where as it is not possible in Arunachal Pradesh being in 5th Schedule of the Constitution.
However, many political parties have been demanding inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh in 6th Schedule for making Arunachalees owner of all natural resources instead of being protectors only. All should realize the Constitutional provisions and unite to achieve the goal as present state and central Govts are led by the same party BJP, they said.
Moreover, the Statehood Act, 1987 is defective being under Article 371 (H) giving extra ordinary power to the governor whose amendment to bring it under Article 371 (A) like Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram is the need of the hour. Once it is done, Arunachal Pradesh would be one of the richest states in India, they said.
Therefore, we Arunachalees should stand united now and ask present Govt to move the Centre for facilitating constitutional amendment to enrich Arunachal coffer instead of giving bandh call or any step that would not go in larger interest of the state, they added.
It may be mentioned here that the NPP with 4 members in the 60-member house extend support to ruling BJP-led Govt with 41 members. Other members are JD(U)-7, INC-4, PPA-1 and independent-3.
