Withdraw July 13 Meeting on Kachari ST Status: AAPSU Tells Government
The apex students’ body has demanded withdrawal of the July 13 consultative meeting, arguing that extending tribal recognition beyond Arunachal Pradesh’s indigenous communities could set a wider precedent.
ITANAGAR, July 10: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has strongly opposed a government circular convening a consultative meeting on July 13 to discuss the inclusion of the Kachari community of Namsai and Changlang districts as Scheduled Tribe, Sub-Tribe or Plains Tribe in the National Population Census.
The apex students’ body demanded that the meeting be withdrawn and warned that it would intensify its campaign if the consultation proceeds as scheduled.
According to AAPSU, the circular was issued by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and Tribal Affairs and scheduled the meeting at the Civil Secretariat in Itanagar under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
Representatives of the All Arunachal Pradesh Kachari Community Development Council, Sonowal Kachari Jatiya Parishad and All Arunachal Pradesh Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union have reportedly been invited to attend the meeting.
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AAPSU President Meje Taku described the union’s opposition as firm and non-negotiable.
“Arunachal Pradesh is a 100 percent tribal state, protected by the Inner Line Permit regime under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, precisely because our land, resources, and political rights belong exclusively to the indigenous people of this state,” Taku said.
He argued that granting Scheduled Tribe status to communities not regarded by the union as indigenous to Arunachal Pradesh would undermine the existing framework of protections for the state’s tribal population.
AAPSU also pointed out that the Sonowal Kachari community already holds Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status in Assam and questioned the rationale for seeking what it described as an overlapping tribal recognition in Arunachal Pradesh.
The union cautioned that any change in the criteria for Scheduled Tribe recognition in the state could have implications beyond the immediate issue under discussion.
It argued that such a move could create a precedent for other communities with historical or ethnolinguistic links to the region to seek similar recognition.
AAPSU said this could have long-term demographic and political implications for Arunachal Pradesh, a state with a relatively small population and multiple indigenous tribal communities.
The union further warned that the issue could affect peace and social harmony and placed responsibility for any resulting tension on the government’s decision to convene the meeting.
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AAPSU has called upon the Chief Secretary and the State Government to withdraw the July 13 consultation and publicly clarify that the existing criteria for Scheduled Tribe recognition in Arunachal Pradesh will not be diluted.
The union also demanded an assurance that tribal recognition would not be extended beyond the state’s existing indigenous communities.
The controversy raises a sensitive question involving identity, constitutional recognition and access to protections associated with Scheduled Tribe status.
At this stage, the July 13 meeting, as described in the circular cited by AAPSU, is a consultative exercise. A meeting to discuss a demand does not by itself amount to the grant of Scheduled Tribe status, which is governed by a formal constitutional and legislative process.
However, AAPSU’s opposition indicates that even preliminary discussion of the issue is likely to generate significant political and social debate in Arunachal Pradesh.
The union has warned that it will not allow the proposition to proceed unchallenged and said it would intensify its campaign if the government goes ahead with the scheduled consultation.
The State Government had not issued a response to AAPSU’s demand at the time of this report.
