Sensing the unrest in the state, the government has decided to "suspend" the RPCs issued to persons belonging to the two refugee communities, Chakma and Hajong.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to form a committee to examine the issue of residential certificates (RPC) to the Chakma and Hajong people in the Changlang district of the state. The inquiry committee, which will consist of two AAPSU members, will submit its preliminary report within 15 days of its formation and the final report within 45 days,” said Rajeev Takuk, joint secretary (political department), of state. During an investigation, if it is established that the RPCs were issued by mistake, they will be cancelled,” he said.
The decision comes after the influential All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) called for a statewide bandh on August 3, which seeks to evict Chakma and Hajong people. Due to this move of the government, the union postponed the bandh.
Buddhist Chakma and Hindu Hajong refugees were largely displaced by a dam and religious persecution in erstwhile East Pakistan and were settled in Arunachal Pradesh by the Center in the 1960s, the indigenous community of the state have been against this settlement of the refugees, which they believe was done keeping them in the darkness.
Various organizations of the Chakma and Hajong people stated that the RPCs are "absolutely legal". Appealing to AAPSU to withdraw its proposed bandh, they cited relevant Acts and Rules to state that Chakma and Hajong are worth residential proof document and the issue of residence certificate to Chakma and Hajong is not illegal, but in compliance is the law.
The Chakmas and Hajongs have lived in Arunachal Pradesh for the last 60 years and 95% of them are born and brought up in the state. There is a need to end the racial discrimination against Chakma and Hajong and allow everyone to contribute to the development of the state, said Krishna Chakma, spokesperson of the Chakma Hajong Rights Alliance.