New Delhi March 21: The Chakma and Hajong community who reside in Arunachal Pradesh through the organization the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh (CCRCHAP) base in Delhi they have sent the apologized to the Mr Kamta Lupeng President of the All Arunachal Pradesh Student Union for what their community has committed.This written submission sent today to Ms. Indira Mallo Jain (IAS), Secretary (Pol.) cum Chairman, Core Committee under JHPC on Chakma and Hajong issue.
The CCRCHAP wholeheartedly apologizes to the fellow brothers and sisters of Arunchal Pradesh including the AAPSU leaders for any criminal offence committed by any Chakma and Hajong including the recent gang rape of a Khamti girl at Chowkham in Lohit district. It has been the endeavor and firm commitment of the CCRCHAP to make the Chakma and Hajong societies crime-free and further contribute towards making Arunchal Pradesh a peaceful and crime-free state. The CCRCHAP urges the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh to take further necessary measures in this regard.
The CCRCHAP came to know about the gang rape case from the Chakma village elders. The CCRCHAP is aware that no amount of apology could assuage the hurt suffered by the victim, her family members and the society at large due this dastardly act. Therefore, the CCRCHAP immediately conveyed its deep anguish and shock over the unfortunate rape incident to the Chakma village elders and social activists both in Lohit and Changlang districts and impressed upon them to actively co-operate with the administration to provide justice to the victim.
In February 2013, the village elders and social workers of 3 Chakma villages under Chowkham PS in Lohit district apprehended 13 of the 14 accused and handed over them to the police while efforts are on to nab the one who is absconding. Similarly, during 2011 and 2012 the elders of Bijoypur-I under Bordumsa PS in Changlang district apprehended at least 5 persons suspected of being involved in crimes and handed them over to the police. There were numerous instances of our village authorities extending active co-operation to police/administration in crime control.
The CCRCHAP told the Secretary (Political Deptt.) to the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh, that you are aware that the CCRCHAP has no State authority. There are tremendous security risks on the CCRCHAP activists to take stern actions against all criminals. Despite such risks, the CCRCHAP will continue to extend utmost cooperation to the State Government and its agencies to bring an end to crimes irrespective of the caste, creed or ethnicity of the criminals.
It is submitted that the Chakmas and Hajongs in one hand and the Singhpos on the other, have been living together peacefully for the last five decades. Regrettably the dispute at Man-I village has become an irritant. The CCRCHAP has been continuously working to address this aberration since 2008. In this regard, many parleys were held between Chakma and Singpho community leaders to work out a compromise in this issue.
It is submitted that the leaders of CCRCHAP and Singho Development Society undertook a spot assessment visit to Man-I village on 26th August 2008 to find a solution to the issue. During the said visit, the representatives of the CCRCHAP were attacked by the Chakmas of M-Pen-I in front of the Singpho leaders and the incident is known to the Singpho leaders.
The pre-condition raised in the Core-Committee that the CCRCHAP should ensure to vacate from M-Pen was also discussed at length by the CCRCHAP.
However, given that the CCRCHAP leaders were previously attacked by the Chakmas of M-Pen-I, none of the CCRCHAP leaders and members is willing to risk their lives as sustained persuasion both by CCRCHAP and local administration failed to yield any result. Further, since there are specific injunctions from the Honorable e Guwahati High Court, there is also likelihood of contempt of court and the CCRCHAP is mindful of this.
Nonetheless, the CCRCHAP remains committed to extend full cooperation to any measure taken by the State Government with respect to the dispute. The CCRCHAP further remains committed to find a solution to this issue and as on date, the CCRCHAP leaders are holding dialogue with the Singpho leaders to address this aberration.
The CCRCHAP firmly believes that this aberration should not come in the way of building peace and communal harmony and a solution will be found.
The CCRCHAP believes in the preservation of forest, environment and ecology in order to prevent the ill-effects of climate change and global warming on Arunachal Pradesh. In all its public meeting, the CCRCHAP has been emphasizing on the need for preservation of forest and environment as well as not to encroach into reserve forests.
In the last Core Committee meeting on 12th March, the CCRCHAP representatives had specifically expressed their inability to remove encroachments from reserved forests on grounds of security risks and recent orders of the Hon⢬e Guwahati High Court. Further, the Representative from the Forest Department had stated at the meeting that his department has already issued instructions to the concerned Divisional Forest Officers to carry out eviction of encroachers as per the newly framed Arunachal Pradesh Forest Rules, 2013. The CCRCHAP shall be happy to extend all necessary cooperation to the State Government in this regard as we remain committed to preservation of environmental and ecological diversity.
The CCRCHAP hopes that the next meeting will be held as scheduled (i.e. on 26th April) and the Joint High Power Committee on Chakmas and Hajongs could address all the issues and carry the agenda of the Core Committee.(SP News)
