CHAKMA-HAJONG ISSUE: AAPSU terms claim of racial profiling as 'malicious'

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has condemned the "oft-repeated and malicious claims of racial profiling" in the State by the Chakma and Hajong refugees.

Large-scale propaganda against the people of Arunachal Pradesh by the organizations and individuals associated with the refugees over the years and the protest at Jantar Mantar by Chakma groups on Tuesday is nothing new and only speaks of their ulterior motives, the union said in a statement on Wednesday.

The AAPSU made it clear that its members and the people of Arunachal Pradesh, in general, have been rigorously voicing their strong objection to the arbitrary settling of Chakmas and Hajongs in the State.

The Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students' Union (APCSU) on Tuesday staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the alleged racial profiling of Chakmas and Hajongs in Arunachal Pradesh through an exclusive census of both communities.

"The union has never objected to providing basic facilities to the refugees as is being provided to the Tibetans staying in numerous camps across the State," the AAPSU said.

"Neither the State Government nor anyone is violating any human rights of any individual or community. Leaders from the Chakma community should not mislead their community members, NHRC and the Centre. History is very much clear," AAPSU president Hawa Bagang said.

The Chakmas and Hajongs were settled in Arunachal Pradesh as "refugees" without the consent of the locals and the illegal entry of people from these communities over the years has greatly affected the socio-cultural structure of the State, the union said.

"How can refugees claim themselves as APST and what is the basis of their claim? The AAPSU strongly opposes any attempts of the refugees to permanently settle in our land and their demands for APST and citizenship status inside Arunachal Pradesh," Bagang said.

The union said both the Centre and the State Government had indicated resolution of the issue by relocating the refugees. The AAPSU will stand with the State Government for the protection of the indigenous tribal communities, it added.

The apex students' body of the State lamented that while the NHRC seeks the protection of the rights of the two refugee communities, it does not spare a thought about the rights of the indigenous tribes whose land and assets are occupied by the refugees.

"The refugees should refrain from citing the rights available to Indian citizens under the Constitution of India to fool the masses," AAPSU general secretary Tobom Dai said.

"It is the right of the people of Arunachal Pradesh to know the exact numbers of Chakma-Hajong refugees living inside the State. There is a strong desire on our part for permanent resolution of the vexed refugee issue," he said.

The AAPSU has been demanding such a special census at regular intervals and the State Government has taken the right decision in this regard, the union said, and urged the Government to go ahead with the special census without any further delay.

Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students' Union (APCSU) president Rup Singh Chakma said that the Chakmas and Hajongs will not cooperate or take part in any census being taken on them.

"The State Government officials are trying to conduct an illegal census which is in clear violation of the directions of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). We shall not participate in any such illegal census," he said.

The NHRC had in January this year directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Arunachal Pradesh Government to submit an action-taken report within six weeks against the alleged racial profiling and relocation of the Chakmas and Hajongs from the State.

It had also directed both the Governments to ensure that the human rights of the two communities are protected by all means.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had on August 15 last year announced that the Chakmas and Hajongs would be settled outside the State.

In an interview in December last year, Khandu had said that his Government is serious about resolving the protracted issue and will rehabilitate the Chakma and Hajong refugees in other States.

"For a settlement, we need to have the authentic data for which the enumeration process is being carried out to know the exact numbers of legal and illegal refugees, so that we can initiate talks with the Centre for their immediate settlement in other States with full facilities," Khandu had said in the interview.

The number of Chakmas and Hajongs living in the State is estimated at 65,857, as per a special survey conducted by the Government in 2015-16. However, unofficial estimates put the population at over 2 lakh.

People belonging to the two communities live mainly in the Changlang, Namsai and Papum Pare districts.

Chakmas, who are Buddhists and Hajongs, who are Hindus, migrated to India between 1964 and 1966 from the Chittagong Hills Tract of then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to escape religious persecution and were settled in the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), the present-day Arunachal Pradesh.

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