Itanagar: Thousands of students, residents, and job seekers flooded the streets of Itanagar on August 8. They marched from Akashdeep to Indira Gandhi Park in the Final Mass Referendum Rally. The Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front organized the protest to kill the 80:20 government job reservation ratio. They want this policy gone now.
AFTF chairman Tadak Nalo led the charge against the hiring framework. He claims it hurts indigenous youth. Unemployment is hitting the state hard. Protesters insist on mandatory Scheduled Tribe and Permanent Resident Certificate status for all government exam candidates. They also want the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission and Staff Selection Board to overhaul recruitment to better protect the tribal population.
Tensions spiked after a non-tribal candidate topped the recent Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination. This sparked fears over job security. Chief Minister Pema Khandu promised to look into the matter. He formed a committee to examine the controversy. Nalo isn't buying it. He slammed the government response, claiming, "committees had been formed over the past two years without producing a solution."
The AFTF called the repeat formation of high-level panels an eyewash. They demand real, concrete moves. Organizers held the rally on the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. They vow a do or die agitation if the state keeps stalling. The government plans to have a High-Power Committee led by Minister Nyato Dukam meet on August 10 to discuss the quota dispute.
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