ACR urge Centre to involve state in Indo-Sino talks

Itanagar, Mar 28: The Arunachal Citizens Rights (ACR) has urged the Union External Affairs Ministry to involve the state government and civil society in the process of Indo-China talks on the sensitive territorial issue. ACR Chairman Bamang Anthony during a meeting with Amit Dasgupta, Joint Secretary (Public Diplomacy) of the Ministry at Guwahati in Asom recently expressed resentment over the point that Centre never felt it necessary to involve the state government while discussing the sensitive territorial issue, informed sources here today.

'' The destiny of the destined cannot be decided by excluding the latter, '' Mr Anthony said during the meeting.

The organisation had also urged the central representative to revive the community radio handsets with increased wave frequency under newly created 'public diplomacy division' of the ministry.

On the issue of border trade, Mr Anthony said that initiative should be taken to open up border trade points on priority in the state, which shares the longest international boundaries with China, Bhutan and Myanmar.

The ACR also urged the Centre to identify institutions through which youth exchange programmes could be organised across bordering nations through cultural exchange programme to diffuse anti-national tendencies amongst educated and unemployed youths, improve the plight of the labourers' children working with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and for adequate public hearings and long term welfare measures for villagers affected by construction of border trade roads.

The organistion appealed to the Ministry to conduct state level consultation meetings for addressing the actual needs of the tribal people, sources added.

UNI