NGO demands cancellation of voting rights of non-Arunachalees in Panchayat Elections

All Arunachal Tribal Rural Panchayat Restoration Andolan Committee (AATRPRAC) have been protesting for the past one week, with few even starting fast unto death against the state government’s non-responsive attitude towards its charter of demands.  

The AATRPRAC earlier had staged hunger strike at Tennis court inside the Indira Gandhi Park from August 17, demanding immediate cancellation of non-APST (Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes) members from the Panchayat election from the districts of Namsai and Changlang & demanded resignation of Chowna Mein, Deputy Chief Minister for using fake certificates.

AATRPRAC President Maji Tayem said due to the health deterioration of few of the protesters, they stopped hunger strike but will sit on dharna untill the demands are not addressed by the state government. 

The AATRPRAC’s demands include demarcation of areas with the categorization of ordinary and permanent residents with Scheduled Tribe (ST), Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) and election rights for the APST and non APST living in Diyun, Vijaynagar, Bordumsa under Changlang and Lekang-I & Lekang-II under Namsai district.
They have also demanded to take action against the State Election Commissioner and District Election Officer for allowing non-APST to participate in the State Panchayat Election 2020 in various Zilla Parishad constituencies of Changlang and Namsai.

The charter of demands also include immediate roll back of the names of the non-APST candidates who have won Zila Parishad Member (ZPM), Gram Panchayat Member (GPM) posts and to constitute a high-level committee to monitor the scrutiny the illegal ST and PRC obtained by the non-APST.

The President and General Secretary of All Arunachal Tribal Rural Panchayat Restoration Andolan Committee (AATRPRAC) were earlier moved to TRIHMS hospital following health issues due to the ongoing hunger strike.
AATRPRAC President Maji Tayem talking to India Today Ne highlighted their demands and said that Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein should also resign as his certificates shows, a non-APST title Gohain has been mentioned as his father. 

Maji said that this is not a politically motivated issue, either it’s a general issue to solve the future of all the tribals of the state and to save their rights in rural panchayat raj institutions. 

James Teli Camdir talking to India Today Ne said that the committee will not withdraw its sit-in-demonstration. It will gherao the panchayat department office if their demands are not fulfilled. James said that they are only demanding the cancellation of Panchayati Raj's Right to Non-APST but the State government, as well as Panchayat Minister, is mute on the issue.

“Earlier the medical team brought us to the hospital. Surprisingly, no one from the administration has ever visited the protesting area. In case, anything goes wrong during the strike, we would like to appeal to the people of Arunachal to keep alive the issue," he said, adding that the issue is genuine and for the protection of indigenous people.

Meanwhile the Director of Panchayati Raj of Arunachal Pradesh, Tamune Miso, has denied to give any statement on the ongoing protest and said that no such protests or any rights violation in Panchayati Raj department has been reported.