Arunachal Pradesh : Buddhist Chakmas & Hindu Hajongs Will Not Co-operate With "Illegal Census", Claims CCRCHAP

Arunachal Pradesh : Buddhist Chakmas & Hindu Hajongs Will Not Co-operate With “Illegal Census”, Claims CCRCHAP

31st December 2021

Posted in Arunachal Pradesh, Featured, Northeast

NET Web Desk

In the backdrop of racial profiling charges of Buddhist Chakmas & Hindu Hajongs, the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh (CCRCHAP) asserted that Chakmas and Hajongs will not co-operate with any “illegal census”.

“No Chakma and Hajong shall cooperate with any illegal census. Any census on them must meet the litmus test of complying with Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the 1996 Supreme Court judgment in the case of National Human Rights Commission of India vs State of Arunachal Pradesh & Anr,” – stated the CCRCHAP General Secretary Santosh Chakma in a release.

“About 95 percent of the Chakmas and Hajongs are citizens of India by birth and they cannot be discriminated in any manner. Further, the Supreme Court in its order of 1996 unequivocally stated that while the application of any individual Chakma migrant of 1964-1969 is pending consideration, the state of Arunachal Pradesh shall not evict or remove the concerned person from his occupation on the ground that he is not a citizen of India until the competent authority has taken a decision in that behalf,” – asserted the CCRCHAP Joint Secretary Tejang Chakma.

“The Chakmas and Hajongs reserve the right to approach the Supreme Court in case of violations of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the judgment of 1996,” – added Santosh Chakma.

Its worthy to note that recently, the Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) has urged the Arunachal Pradesh Government to respect the Supreme Court’s order which states “absolute prohibition” against removal of any Chakma/Hajong from the northeastern state, before deciding his/her citizenship application in letter & spirit.

Meanwhile, the Chakma Development Federation also reminded the state government and AAPSU that “while the (citizenship) application of any individual Chakma is pending consideration, the first respondent (Arunachal Pradesh) shall not evict or remove the concerned person from his occupation on the ground that he is not a citizen of India until the competent authority has taken a decision in that behalf.”

“About 90% of the Chakmas and Hajongs are today citizens of India by birth and have been voting in the Assembly and parliamentary elections. To make the Chakmas and Hajongs who are citizens stand in the queue for the illegal census while all other citizens in Arunachal Pradesh enjoy this harassment is not an administrative task but an act of racial profiling and threats to the life and liberty of each and every Chakma and Hajong as enunciated in order no.3 of the 1996 Supreme Court judgment.” – mentioned a press release issued by CDFI.

The CDFI therefore urged the state government and the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) to terminate targeting Buddhist Chakmas and Hindu Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh.