Home Minister Bamang Felix visits strife-hit Namsai; Tapir talks peace

Our Correspondent

BORDUMSA: Home Minister Bamang Felix along with the host of top cops of the State visited violence-hit Namsai here on Sunday morning and took stock of the law and order situation after a clash occurred on Saturday between two groups.

Felix during a meeting with the representatives of various communities, student bodies including the Tai-Khampti Singpho student Union, Namsai Local Area Youth Organization, Tai-Khampti Singpho Council and AdiSu urged for communal harmony stating, “Every problem has a solution; as such if any grievances persist among the aggrieved group, it would be discussed amicably for a desirable solution”.

According to Felix, a meeting would be convened at Itanagar on December 2 wherein all stakeholders including the representatives of the affected community would participate for a healthy and amicable solution to the issue. “Communal harmony at all cost ought to be maintained in and around Namsai area for common good”, said Bamang Felix while urging the police and civil administrative machinery of the district to help build a congenial atmosphere in cooperation with the local population.

Meanwhile, alarmed at the escalating pace of mutual distrust and suspicion among the peace loving tribal people of beautiful hill State of Arunachal, MP Tapir Gao through the media urged the people to maintain peace and stand united as usual without being swayed by rumours and hate messages in the social media.

Gao, speaking to The Sentinel from New Delhi here this morning also urged the district administration to dispose of the grievances of the people as soon as possible as per law as the delay to address the same might earn wrath of the people disturbing peace in the area. “Let peace prevail and law take its natural course while dispensing justice to the deserving ones”, Gao wished.

Meanwhile, reacting to media reports on the issue, Okom Yosung, secretary general of Adi Baane Kebang (ABK) said that they also welcome the gesture of the government for peaceful settlement. Similarly, CS Chowtang, the president of the Tai-Khamti Development Society (TKDS) briefed in a nutshell about the peaceful nature of Khamti and Singpho people in Namsai district who have been living in cohesion for several decades with a sense of fraternity.

“It is a simple issue which have been misrepresented as communal by a certain section of people in the area over social media networking sites. The bone of contention was encroachment in the nearby Reserve Forest but the incident has been accorded a communal colour”, said a Khamti leader.

It may be added here that the entire Namsai and Chongkham area is bounded by thick reserve forest and has been inhabited by local people along with other migrants. Most of the Reserve Forest have already been encroached for extensive tea cultivation. The onus is on the forest department to ascertain the facts by means of survey and report accordingly. The unprejudiced eviction should have been initiated by the Forest department earlier to avoid such troubles in the area.

However, a peaceful rally was conducted in nearby Lekang area in Namasi district simultaneously today to protest the act of the miscreants torching 14 houses in Mabira, a new village near Khai-Hay Nallah, under the Tengapani Reserve Forest area, between October 12 and 15. They also demanded immediate compensation to the affected people of the village. The AdiSU have been seeking the arrest of those involved in the arson in Mabira village.

Also Read: Minister Bamang Felix inaugurated Women Police Station office in Itanagar

Also Watch: Actress Amrita Gogoi promotes ‘Pratighat’ at Namti in Sivasagar