Arunachal Pradesh Chakma-Hajong Body Opposes Census Proposal

ITANAGAR: The Joint Action Committee of Chakma and Hajong groups of Arunachal Pradesh has voiced its objection to the charter of the State Level High Powered Ministerial Committee (SLHPMC) of the State Government.

According to a press release issued by the JAC, it submitted a memorandum on Monday to Chowna Mein, Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the SLHPMC. The memorandum raised objections against the SLHPMC charter, including conduct of a special census of all the Chakma and Hajong people and demarcation of settlement areas.

The JAC, as the apex body representing the collective voice of the Chakma and Hajong people, stated that the idea of demarcation of settlement area(s) of Chakma and Hajongs of the State as per the area comprising of the so-called "original designated camps and keeping them within the said designated camps" is flawed, divisionary and misleading because unlike the Tibetans who are residing in temporary refugee/designated camps, the Chakmas and Hajongs were

taken to NEFA by the Government of India, traversing 1,200 km from the Chittagong Hills Tract for permanent rehabilitation and were rehabilitated already under 5 Settlement Schemes, dispersed over 45-50 villages.

The JAC memorandum stated that it is unfortunate that due to the anti-foreigners agitation in Assam, which later snowballed into Arunachal Pradesh, the Chakmas/Hajongs became soft targets and were branded as "refugees", "foreigners" due to this misplaced identity. This mistaken identity was further

fuelled by vested interests who played to the gallery and created confusion in the minds of naïve local Arunachali populace, as the Chakma-Hajong issue was used for political mileage just like the proverbial geese that lays the golden eggs year after year.

Moreover, there are non-Chakmas settled in Chakma settlement areas and the so-called "demarcation of designated camps" cannot be operationalized in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, mixed society where people of different tribes, ethnicity live together, the JAC stated.

While calling on the State Government to withdraw any plans of relocation, if any, and issue clarifications to assuage public angst and anxiety in this regard, the JAC said that policy of demarcation and segregation has not worked anywhere in the world and will not work in Arunachal Pradesh.

Regarding conduct of a special census of all the Chakma and Hajong people in the State to ascertain their present population, the JAC stated that it is of the considered opinion that the census of Chakmas and Hajong population was done as late as 2015-16 through the Deputy Commissioner and shared by the Chief Minister on the floor of the State Legislative Assembly in January, 2020. In fact, based on the National Census data available in public domain, the annual growth rate of the Chakma/Hajong population is lower (2.6%) than the overall annual growth rate of population of the State, which stood at 2.87% (50-year period). The decadal growth rate for Chakma-Hajong population was 17% for the period 2001-2011 as against the overall decadal growth rate of 26% for the State. So, abnormal population growth of Chakmas and Hajongs is only a politically constructed myth to spread lies, falsehoods and create xenophobia, the JAC stated.

The JAC, while recommending a congenial environment must be created by inviting the JAC for dialogue/discussion with the State Government/SLHPMC, stated that the Buddhist Chakmas and the Hindu Hajongs have suffered immensely during the last half a century and three generations of their progenies have been adversely affectedand, therefore, it is high time now that the issue is resolved once and for all.

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