Snippets
Arunachal Pradesh: Signs of hope
In June 2007, the provincial government of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh headed by Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu formed a high powered committee to find out an amicable solution to the vexed Chakma-Hajong issue. The high powered committee is reportedly headed by Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Setong Sena and includes, among others, Health and Family Welfare Minister C.C. Singpho as member.
Both the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) and the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh (CCRCAP) have welcomed the constitution of the high powered committee.
The Chakmas and Hajongs whose total population is estimated to be 65,000 persons migrated to India in 1964 from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and were settled by the Government of India in Arunachal Pradesh (previously known as North Eastern Frontier Agency) under a “definite plan of rehabilitation.” In 1995, apprehending loss of lives and properties of Chakmas and Hajongs because of the failure of the State government of Arunachal Pradesh, the National Human Rights Commission of India approached the Supreme Court which, among others, directed that the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh shall ensure security and safety of the Chakmas and Hajongs and that the Deputy Commissioners of the three Chakma and Hajong inhabited districts of Changlang, Lohit and Papumpare shall immediately forward the citizenship applications of the Chakmas and Hajongs to the Central Government. However, not a single out of more than 45,000 Chakma and Hajong applicants has been granted citizenship.
Despite specific guidelines from the Election Commission of India as to how to conduct the revision of electoral rolls in the Chakma and Hajong areas, the concerned electoral officers who are also employees of the State Government have been successful to frustrate the efforts of the Election Commission of India to enroll all eligible Chakma and Hajong voters in the electoral rolls. Consequently, the Election Commission of India suspended the publication of the electoral rolls of Changlang, Lohit and Papumpare districts.
AITPN hopes that the problems can be resolved by these indigenous communities through the High Powered Committee.
The Kalinga Nagar massacre inquiry - update
The much-hyped investigation by Justice A.S. Naidu Commission of Inquiry into the police firing at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district of Orissa in India in which 14 tribal people were killed, has come to naught.
On 9 April 2007, a Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising of Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain rejected the Orissa government's plea for allowing Justice AS Naidu Commission, a sitting Judge of the Orissa High Court, to continue its probe on the ground that it is headed by a sitting High Court judge. Earlier in November 2006, the Supreme Court had ruled that no sitting judge of High Court can head an inquiry commission. The apex court, however, allowed some inquiry commissions which were in the final stages of completion of probes to continue. The end of the Justice AS Naidu Commission of Inquiry was signaled by Justice AS Naidu in the statement issued on 5 May 2007 that “The Commission has ceased to exist without completing the inquiry process in view of the Supreme Court's rejection of the state government's appeal (to continue its investigation)”.
On 10 April 2007, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated that a new commission headed by a retired judge would start the investigation into the Kalinga Nagar massacre from the point where Justice A.S. Naidu had left. But the state government of Orissa has failed to appoint a retired High Court judge to continue the judicial investigation until now.