DIYUN: All Chakma-Hajongs Community Based Organizations (CBOs) led by the Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students’ Union (APCSU) in collaboration with Arunachal Pradesh Hajong Students’ Union (APHSU), the apex bodies representing the students’ fraternity of the Chakma-Hajong communities of Arunachal Pradesh started a non-cooperation movement against the Arunachal Pradesh government’s “inaction to revoke the notification Vide Notification No.CHG/JS/GUARD-01/2022 that canceled the issuance of Residential Proof Certificates (RPCs)”.
The two communities were “forced to start a non-cooperation movement from 23rd Dec 2022 and will continue till 30th December 2022 against the government’s inaction to restore the RPCs”.
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“The general public supporting the movement kept weekly markets deserted, and students boycotted their classes to protest against the government for robbing their future,” a statement from the organisations read.
“The Union states that the Residential Proof Certificate (RPC) is a basic document possessed by the Chakma-Hajongs for admissions to educational institutions, getting central government jobs, especially in Indian Paramilitary Forces and private jobs and it’s the fundamental right of the Chakma and Hajong communities,” it said.
“The abrupt cancellation of RPCs to these two marginalized communities would deprive them of their basic rights to education and livelihood. The systematic effort of the government to take away the basic rights one after the other over the last four decades has led the two communities silently suffer, met rejections and hardships despite successive governments making unfulfilled promises to resolve the issues with respect to the Supreme Court’s judgment of 17th September 2015, WP (C) NO.510 OF 2007, COMMITTEE FOR C.R. OF C.A.P. & ORS. vs STATE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH & Ors.”
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Also read: Chakma-Hajong representatives stage massive protest in Delhi over RPC cancellation in Arunachal
In the past, the Chakma-Hajong bodies under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC) staged a protest at Diyun against the government’s order, where thousands of protesters expressed their dismay over the order.
Drishya Muni Chakma, the president of APCSU, stated “This protest is in continuation of the previous protest where the Arunachal Govt was asked to revoke the notification and restore the RPCs within 15th December 2022. We patiently waited for a positive response from the Govt but in vain. Therefore, we are compelled to resort to a ‘Non-Cooperation Movement.’ In a series of democratic protests, we will continue to escalate until and unless Arunachal Govt comes up with a positive response”.
He further said that the protest would spread to other states and taken to the national capital if the notification is not revoked and the RPCs are restored.
Sonjit Chakma, general secretary of APCSU said, “The cancellation of RPCs by the Arunachal Govt is a complete violation of human rights, which also violates the judgments of the Delhi High Court 2000 (WP No 886 of 2000) which ruled Chakmas and Hajongs as citizens of India by birth and many of whom are voting as citizens of India. The Gauhati High Court’s order of 2013 (PIL No 52 of 2010) also categorically stated that the Chakmas and Hajongs don’t require any inner line permit in Arunachal Pradesh.”