Nocte Chalo Loku festival
Nocte tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. Image credit - Arunachal24.in

The Union Cabinet Wednesday gave its nod for introduction of a bill to modify Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.

The bill proposes to delete Abor tribe from the state’s ST list “as it is the same as Adi” tribe.

As there is no tribe called “Khampti” and hence the bill has proposed to replace it with “Tai Khamti” on the ST list of the frontier Hill state in the Northeast.

The bill seeks to include the Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list.

The bill  also proposes inclusion of “Monpa, Memba, Sartang, Sajolong in lieu of the Momba” tribe.

The Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa and Wancho tribes would replace the words “any Naga tribe” in the ST list of Arunachal Pradesh.

“The cabinet which was chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the introduction of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2018, in Parliament for certain amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, so as to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh,” an official statement informed.

The Union Cabinet’s approval came at a time when Arunachal Pradesh government is waiting for report of its high power committee on the issue of granting permanent residence cerificates (PRC) to non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (non-APST).

Member of Parliament, Arunanchal East constituency and former Union Minister Ninong Ering, while informing about the decision of the Union Cabinet on his Twitter handle, has attached a video of his speech when he raised the issue in the Parliament.