By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, August 23: An Itanagar-based NGO, Arunachal Civil Society (ACS) has voiced its opposition against the Government of Arunachal Pradesh’s decision of adopting the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy Act in the state.
In its appeal to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s Administration, Patey Tayum, Chairman of ACS said, “If we check the record, it is clear that Tibetans are getting more facilities than people of Arunachal. Then why the state government wants to groom the Tibetan refugees while neglecting the needs of indigenous tribes of the state?”
Patey, however, clarified that the organization is not against the Tibetans and their settlements in the state. Rather they want the government to focus more towards the development, policies to safeguard and promote the rich indigenous culture.
“But what irks us most is that without giving importance to the development and progress of our indigenous community, which is still lagging behind in development fronts, the government implemented the policy that too without any consent from tribal populations,” he added.
The members of ACS also pointed out that while the people of the state are ‘strongly opposing’ the Chakmas-Hajongs citizen issue for decades, such a policy (Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy) adopted by the state government is a ‘big slap’ to the indigenous people of Arunachal.
ACS said that they are opposing the policy since Tibetans in the state are not considered or treated as refugees. The major reason for the organization to oppose the policy was due to the lack of government policies to uplift the indigenous people of the state.
“Once it (policy) is fully implemented then one day all the benefits meant for local tribes will be diverted to refugee areas, which will disturb the state’s ethnic balance, resulting in communal tension in near future,” Patey told Eastern Sentinel, an English daily published from Itanagar.
Hence, the organization suggested few directives regarding the issue asking the government officials from Chief Minister to Panchayat level to discourage such policies, which hurts the ‘sentiments’ of indigenous tribes.
The state of Arunachal Pradesh on August 12, had officially adopted the Act introduced in 2014 by the government of India to assist in the welfare of the Tibetan refugees residing in India. The state has four Tibetan settlements in Tezu, Miao, Tuting and Tenzingang.
