In what many are calling a historic display of unity and determination, nearly 8,000 members of the Chakma and Hajong communities gathered in Diyun on Friday to take part in a massive public referendum. The symbolic exercise, organized by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), was aimed at pressing for a permanent resolution to the communities’ decades-long demand for citizenship and residency rights in Arunachal Pradesh. The turnout was remarkable despite sweltering conditions, as men, women, and youth from different parts of the region converged to make their voices heard. Organizers described the referendum as a watershed moment in their long struggle, saying it highlighted both the resilience of the communities and the urgency of their demands. “We have lived in uncertainty for decades, despite legal assurances. It is time for the government to implement directives and recognize our rights fully,” said JAC chairman Mahendra Chakma while addressing the gathering. He, along with JAC general secretary Arunjit Chakma, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu through Diyun-Bordumsa MLA Nikh Kamin.
Prominent figures present at the event included MLA Nikh Kamin, former MLA Samlung Mosaang, and former MLA K.G. Singpho. Speaking on the occasion, Kamin underlined the need for a timely solution, while Mosaang urged the state government to stop delaying decisions that have already been endorsed by the Supreme Court and human rights bodies. The Chakmas, predominantly Buddhists, and the Hajongs, mostly Hindus, trace their origins to the Chittagong Hill Tracts of present-day Bangladesh. In the 1960s, they were forced to flee due to displacement caused by the Kaptai dam project and widespread religious persecution. Between 1964 and 1969, around 14,000 refugees were resettled in the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh, under a central government rehabilitation programme. Since then, however, the communities have lived in a state of uncertainty. Citizenship rights have remained contested, with local indigenous groups fearing that granting full rights could alter the demographic balance of the state and infringe on tribal protections.
In 2015, the Supreme Court directed the Union government to process and grant citizenship to eligible members of both communities. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also intervened several times, most recently in September 2025, reiterating that the government must act without delay. Despite these directives, the communities allege that state-level implementation has been non-existent, leaving them marginalized and vulnerable.
