All Moran Students Union launch indefinite economic blockade in Arunachal

Organization demands scrapping of Citizenship Bill; PRC for indigenous people of Lekang Circle in Namsai

OUR CORRRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: The various regional committees of All Moran Students Union (AMSU) in association with its Lekang unit in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh have launched its indefinite economic blockade at various Assam-Arunachal border locations including the Kakopather-Namsai road on NH-52 and Bordumsa to realize their two-fold demands centering round the scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and conferring Permanent Residential Certificate (PRC) to the deserving indigenous people of Lekang Circle in Namsai District.

The agitations which started on Sunday morning at various points including Bordumsa and Kakopther by the respective regional units of the Moran students’ body have severely affected the movements of commercial vehicles including the transportation of oil, domestic gas and other goods and commodities of daily needs. “We are restricting the movements of commercial vehicles from Tinsukia — the focal commercial town of the region to ensure that the supply of goods and commodities is totally interrupted,”said Bihudhar Moran, the President of AMSU Lekang Regional Committee.

Meanwhile, AMSU Lekang general secretary Manoj Kumar Moran demanding immediate scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, also lambasted the failures of the Arunachal government in conferring the long promised PRC to the bonafide Moran residents of Lekang Circle in Neighbouring Namsai district.

The disgruntled Moran student activists at Makum, Tinsukia and Kakopather while shouting slogans ‘NO PRC NO REST’, ‘Oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016’, ‘Save North East from Illegal Migration’ also targetted the Arunachal government for being indifferent towards the issue of granting Permanenet Resident Certificate (PRC) after several promises and assurance.

However, while talking to ‘The Sentinel’, the Deputy Chief Minister (Dy CM) of Arunachal Pradesh Chowna Mein said that his government is serious about the issue and is expecting a positive report from the Joint High Power Committee (JHPC) within January itself to this effect. “We have assured all the stakeholders earlier that the government would decide on the matter only after it receives the final report of the JHPC on PRC with respect to the Non-Arunachal Pradesh STs within January.”

He further said, “Such unabated agitation with political motive is sure to affect the process of the government”, while urging the people of Lekang — his home constituency — not to go by the rumours and cooperate with the government which has made its commitment.

Meanwhile, the restriction on the movements of the commercial vehicles from the epicenter Tinsukia to various nearby Arunachal’s destinations including Namsai, Changlang and Tirap districts has hit the normal business scenario causing artificial shortage of the essential commodities. Conscious circles have called upon the affected stakeholders including the government to initiate early remedial steps and not let the situations go out of hand.

Also Read: Arunachal News