Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: The Human Rights of Arunachal (HRA) wants the state government to scrap a July 13 consultation meeting. The session involves granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Kachari community living in Namsai and Changlang districts. HRA officials now back the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union in opposing the plan.
HRA Chairman Kipa Kaha warned that the state must protect local identity and traditional land rights. He stated that any proposal changing the tribal structure requires extreme caution. Kaha said, "Arunachal Pradesh’s constitutional and legal safeguards were designed to protect the land, identity, customs and traditional rights of its indigenous people."
The group insists on broad, meaningful talks with all indigenous stakeholders before moving forward. They noted that the Sonowal Kachari community already holds tribal status in Assam. Any shift in Arunachal status could create major social and political fallout.
HRA reminded officials that the Inner Line Permit and the 1873 Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation exist to preserve local heritage. They urged the Chief Secretary and the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Tribal Affairs to kill the meeting. Indigenous voices must lead the process, or the tribal framework faces permanent damage.
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