Tribal students' outfit leads anti-CAA protests in Arunachal

Demanding clarification on the status of the Chakma and Hajong refugees in the state, the All Arunachal Tribal Students' Union (AATSU) on Monday took out a protest march from Tennis Court in IG Park to the Raj Bhavan here.

The outfit asked the state government to make the public aware of the ramifications of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the context of Arunachal Pradesh.

"The Narendra Modi government is trying to overburden the tribal people of the state with refugees," said AATSU president Techi Taba.

The state has been witnessing a huge influx of people in the last few years, necessitating a stricter Inner Line Permit system, he added.

"We don't want any CAA in Arunachal and CAA is not at all in the interest of the tribal and indigenous people of the state," Taba said.

Stating that the Northeast is not a dumping ground for illegal migrants from Bangladesh, Taba asked Chief Minister Pema Khandu to disclose the progress or updates of the state government's petition in the Supreme Court on the Chakma- Hajong issue.

"Arunachal is a pure tribal state and implementation of the CAA will disturb its cultural heritage and tradition," Taba said.

The outfit also announced its second phase of protest on January 22 and appealed to like-minded people and senior citizens to participate.