Arunachal rights body decries ULFA(I)’s demand
Outfit wants PRC to Assamese people living in state
Itanagar, Sept 1 (UNI): The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent)’s reported demand for grant of permanent residence certificates (PRCs) to the Assamese people residing in Arunachal Pradesh did not go down well with the Arunachal Citizens Right (ACR), a leading rights body, on Wednesday claiming the proscribed insurgent outfit’s demand has “disturbed the peace of mind among indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh”.
“It has the potential of distorting age-old relationship between Assam and Arunachal,” ACR added.
It requires a mention here that in a letter dated August 28 this year addressed to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, ULFA(I) military chief Paresh Baruah said the Assamese people have been denied their right to obtain PRCs despite living in the frontier state for generations.
“Arunachal Pradesh has always been kind to its Assamese-speaking community over the years. However, Assamese speakers, who are natives of the land… are now in danger of expatriation,” Baruah had said in the letter.
Reacting to the ‘development’, ACR in a statement here said, “The sudden and untimely intervention from such banned non-state actor is uncalled for and shall not be accepted by the people of Arunachal Pradesh.”
It further added, “If the purported appeal letter in question is claimed by Paresh Asom, Vice Chairman, United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), we appeal him to come out overground and get settlement in Assam within the framework of the Constitution of India and strengthen the age-old peaceful co-existence of indigenous peoples in the region.”
The All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) had also condemned the banned insurgent outfit’s demand, and said since ILP is required for all outsiders to enter the State under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873, it is not possible to grant PRC to the Assamese people settled in Arunachal Pradesh.
