AAPSU sets conditions to withdraw agitation

Itanagar, Feb 25 (UNI) The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has set two pre-conditions before the state government to withdraw its proposed agitation against the latter's failure to ensure release of all the youths allegedly kidnapped by NSCN(K) from Tirap district recently. The leaders of the apex students' body who met Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on Saturday last said the government had urged the union to withdraw its phase-wise bandh calls in the coming days.

In response the Union put forward two pre-conditions. As per the conditions, the Committee proposed by the state government on the 'abduction case' initiate immediate action and ensure safe release of the abducted youths within 30 days and that the Chief Minister head the committee taking into consideration the gravity and sensitivity of the issue. The Union set tomorrow as the deadline for the government to accept the two pre-conditions and to allow two of its members to be included in that committee.

If the government failed to accept the conditions, the union threatened to go ahead with its proposed agitation of calling state-wide bandhs in the next few days. AAPSU, in its first phase of agitation, had given a 12-hour state-wide bandh call on February 20 last marring the Statehood Day celebrations. Its second phase is slated to be a 24-hour statewide bandh on February 29 next, which would lead to continuous bandh calls in a phased manner if the government failed to release the abducted youths. Altogether 48 youths from Tirap district were reportedly kidnapped by the NSCN(K) during January as part of its recruitment drive. On requests from parents 29 of the abducted youths were later released by the outfit, while 19 are still under captivity.

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