ITANAGAR: In a fervent appeal preceding her scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh on January 6, the Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students Union (APCSU) has urged Tripura Cabinet Minister Santana Chakma to urgently intervene against the unlawful cancellation of Residential Proof Certificates (RPCs), impacting the Chakma and Hajong communities the state.
Scheduled to visit Diyun to attend an APCSU meeting, Santana Chakma is urged to raise these critical issues during her visit by the union President, Rup Singh Chakma.
The RPCs, vital for residence proof, were unlawfully withdrawn in 2022, leaving Chakma and Hajong students without access to education and employment.
Rup Singh highlighted the need for Minister Chakma to address this issue with the Arunachal Pradesh government, the Union of India, and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) top leadership.
Apart from the RPC concern, the Chakmas and Hajongs are seeking public denouncement from Minister Chakma regarding the proposed relocation of over 65,000 individuals, a plan supported by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Despite the settlement of boundary disputes with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh continues to push for relocation.
The Chakmas claim to have faced systematic repression despite being settled by the Union of India in 1964-1969, following the 1962 Indo-China war.
Despite Supreme Court judgments in 1996 and 2015, they remain denied citizenship, voter inclusion, and access to governmental schemes.
The ongoing efforts to relocate them persist, adding to their plight.
With the BJP in power both at the state and Centre, Minister Chakma is urged to champion the rights of the Chakmas and Hajongs, invoking constitutional guarantees and Supreme Court judgments.
The visit is seen as an opportunity to address these pressing human rights violations and not merely a routine engagement.
