OUR CORRESPONDENT
BORDUMSA: Following stiff resistance from AAPSU (All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union) on the issue of poll ticket allocation to non-APST (Arunachal Pradesh Schedule Tribe) candidates by various politics parties including the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, Kamlung Mossang, Minister in the Pema Khandu-led government has finally clarified on the issue and specifically in terms of Vijaynagar. He said that there has been always peaceful co-existence and fraternity between the two major dwellers there — the Gorkhas and the Yobins. They never opposed each other during any earlier elections since 1976, he added.
Without referring to any organizations, the Minister — who is also the local MLA of Miao — wondered as to why such a discriminatory attitude has been adopted towards a specific community (most of whom are ex-military service personnel) of Vijaynagar. They have been settled there by the Government of India in batches in 1963-64, and they have been exercising their political rights since 1976, he added.
"It is very unfortunate that a section of people guided by a vested political interests have been trying to portray the picture in a distorted form. They are trying to portray that the BJP is the first party ever to field a candidate from the Gorkha community for the Vijaynagar ZPM segment under Miao Constituency," said the BJP stalwart of the State.
"The BJP has not introduced any discriminatory format for allocating party tickets. We have followed the precedence that has been in practice since decades," said the Minister while replying to the queries of The Sentinel.
"LalbilGurung — was the first among the Gorkha settlers to participate in the election in 1976. That trend continues till today; this time, we are putting up SujataRai of Gorkhas Party for the ZPM seat from Vijaynagar. So, where is the fault? wonderedMossang.
"The people of Yobins who were also within the ambit of non-APST a couple of years back, have been also given equal political representation. YofuYobin was elected as the ZPM in the 2013 panchayat polls; and this time we have considered the candidature of SujataRai for the same in 2020," said the mandal president of Miao Assembly Constituency.
Meanwhile, quoting one of the office bearers of the Yobin Students body, the Minister said that no person in his/her individual capacity should jeopardize the existing peace and harmony in the Circle.
'Let not anyone be allowed to mislead the youth of the State and create misconceptions in the minds of the people. All should come forward to maintain a congenial atmosphere for holding the polls peacefully.
In the evening, the Minister formally handed over the party tickets to the ZPM candidates for all the five segments under Miao constituency in Changlang District.