The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to hold a consultative meeting on July 13 to discuss the inclusion of the Kachari community of Namsai and Changlang districts as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), sub-tribe or plains tribe in the National Population Census, and has demanded that the meeting be withdrawn. The proposed meeting, convened by the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Tribal Affairs, is scheduled to be held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. According to AAPSU, representatives of the All Arunachal Pradesh Kachari Community Development Council, Sonowal Kachari Jatiya Parishad and the All Arunachal Pradesh Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union have been invited to participate in the discussions. Objecting to the move, the students’ body said it would not allow the proposal to proceed without opposition and warned that it would intensify its agitation if the meeting is held as planned.
AAPSU president Meje Taku said Arunachal Pradesh is a “100 per cent tribal state” protected by constitutional safeguards and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. He argued that extending Scheduled Tribe status to communities that are not indigenous to the state would weaken these constitutional protections and affect the interests of the indigenous tribal population. The union also questioned the basis of the proposal, pointing out that the Sonowal Kachari community already enjoys Scheduled Tribe (Plains) status in neighbouring Assam. It said there was no justification for considering a separate proposal for inclusion under Arunachal Pradesh’s tribal framework. AAPSU further expressed concern that any relaxation of the existing criteria for recognising Scheduled Tribe communities in the state could encourage similar demands from other communities with historical or ethnolinguistic links to the region. According to the union, such a development could have long-term implications for the state’s demographic composition, political representation and constitutional safeguards.
Urging the Chief Secretary and the state government to withdraw the proposed consultative meeting, AAPSU called for a clear reaffirmation that Scheduled Tribe status in Arunachal Pradesh should remain limited to the state’s indigenous tribes. The students’ body also warned that continuing with the proposal could disturb peace and social harmony, adding that the government would be responsible for any consequences arising from the decision.
