AAPSU
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The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has announced that it would render its support to the ‘Operation Clean Drive’ launched by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and foreigners in the State.

The announcement by the North East Students’ Organization came during a meeting held between the two students’ organizations in this regard at the Capital on Thursday.

NESO State unit organizing secretary Marge Riba and coordinator Pritam Sonam, who attended the meeting on behalf of their organizations also highlighted the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in all the northeastern States.

It may be mentioned that the NRC updating process is going on in neighbouring Assam under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court and the on basis of the Assam Accord. The final draft NRC was published in Assam on July 30, 2018. The NRC update process has been initiated to detect illegal immigrants in Assam.

While agreeing to the same, AAPSU general secretary, Tobom Dai, however, said that the base year of 1971 currently adopted for the NRC in Assam cannot be unanimously accepted for the State of Arunachal Pradesh as refugees from Bangladesh have entered in the State way before 1971.

While urging all the indigenous people of the State including fellow brethren from other States to support the AAPSU in their endeavour, the NESO members also urged the AAPSU members to see to it that no genuine citizens are harassed during the entire operation.

It was also decided that the NESO members led by Riba and Sonam would also participate in the ‘Operation Clean Drive’ along with the AAPSU.

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]