Organisation seeks ‘restoration’ of rights for Chakma, Hajong tribes

Robichand Chakma’s wife displaying the electoral Identity Card containing names of her husband and his two brothers. They are the only three voters for the Upper Modoi Deep Polling Station in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
(Express Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee)

An organisation working for Chakma and Hajong tribes in Arunachal Pradesh today urged Union minister Rajnath Singh to “restore” the rights of the two ethnic communities. “It is not just citizenship rights that need to be given,” the organisation ‘Right Cause – Partnering for Change’ wrote in an open letter addressed to the Union home minister, president of the organisation Mahendra Chakma told reporters here.

“We urge immediate restoration of all their rights like employment with Arunachal Pradesh government which was banned in 1980, issue of ration cards which was cancelled in 1991 and appointment to the post of Gaon Burah (village headman) which was cancelled in 1994”, Chakma claimed.

In his letter to the Home Minister, a copy of which was given to journalists, Chakma wrote, “We urge all stakeholders and political leaders not to politicise the issue further and instead work together towards a permanent solution.

The Chakma refugees who came to India in 1986 and were camped in Tripura bordering Bangladesh and subsequently repatriated are different and not to be confused with Chakma and Hajong refugees who were permanently rehabilitated in the then North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) which later became Arunachal Pradesh.”