AAPSU says no ST status to Mishings

Itanagar, Jul 21 (UNI) The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) made it clear that no tribes or sub-tribes should be enlisted in the list without prior consent of the indigenous people of the state.

The apex students' body of the state, which convened a consultative meeting here today along with former AAPSU leaders, NGOs, civil societies and senior citizens resolved to submit a memorandum to the Centre for immediate intervention into the matter.

Later Addressing media persons, AAPSU president Kanu Bagang informed that the meeting had condemned such premature decision of the state Cabinet and protested inclusion of Mishings as ST, which he said, was contradictory to the verdict of the Supreme Court during 2000.

Stating that the students' body was not against any community, Mr Bagang further urged the state government to immediately withdraw its order in this regard within 15 days.

The meeting also decided to urge the state government to refrain from issuing any ST certificate to the Mishing tribe as they were not enlisted in the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and moreover they were already enjoying ST status in Assam.

The meeting also resolved to apprise the state government of immediately constituting a seven-member high level committee, including one legal expert, one academician, three from civil societies, one scholars preferably from state-owned Rajiv Gandhi University and one from AAPSU.

Meanwhile, the Union had decided to organise mass campaign in the Mishing-dominated areas against the issuing of ST certificate, land allotment orders and trading licenses to the non-Arunachalees by the state government.

AAPSU was leading a movement against this issue since long and the student body will not tolerate and compromise at any cost, Bagang added.

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