Home Ministry to meet on Chakma-Hajong issue

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, Oct 24: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs will hold a meeting shortly to get an acceptable outcome on Chakma and Hajong refugee issue in Aruchal Pradesh, informed All Aruchal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) in a release.

Responding to a memorandum submitted by AAPSU yesterday demanding deportation of Chakma and Hajong refugees from the state, Union Home Minister Rajth Singh told a joint delegation of AAPSU and Core Committee on Refugee issue that the Home Ministry will hold a meeting within 10-15 days in order to get an acceptable outcome for the indigenous people of the state.

The union minister also assured the delegation that AAPSU representatives will be called, if situation demands, the release said.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who was also present in the meeting, said that the central government is also conscious on the issue and taking serious note of the recent SC verdict granting citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees in Aruchal Pradesh.

During their course of discussion on the burning issue, AAPSU president Kamta Lapung apprised the Union Home Minister about AAPSU’s decades-long movement against the settlement of Chakmas and Hajongs. He lamented that the Centre has not shown any interest on the vexed issue of the state in the last five decades.

AAPSU general secretary Biru si said that the people of the state are not less patriotic than people of rest of the country.

“We are ready to die for the country but will never accept annihilation from our own land by imposing refugees on us,” Biru said.

Putting forward his opinion, the Chairman of the Core-Committee Gumjum Haider stated that the verdict of Supreme Court is not at all acceptable to the people of Aruchal Pradesh. If Aruchal is an integral part of India then why the Government of India, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India and the NHRC are supporting foreign refugees against its own people, he questioned.

Meanwhile, AAPSU urged the MP from Aruchal East constituency Ninong Ering to come out with a concrete statement on this contentious issue as he represents the constituency where 95% of illegal refugees are settled.

The apex students’ body also questioned MP (Rajya Sabha) Mukut Mithi the reason behind his silence over the issue.

The non-seriousness of both the parliamentarians has made us question their patriotism towards Aruchal Pradesh, the AAPSU release added.