AAPSU launches protest rally against autonomy demand

Itanagar, Nov 3 (UNI) All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) today resorted to mass protest here, disapproving the demands for creating autonomous district councils.

Around 600 AAPSU activists holding placards, marched from Rama Krishna Hospital to Raj Bhawan shouting slogans against the move to create two autonomous councils, comprising Tawang and West Kameng (Mon autonomous region), Tirap and Changlang(Patkai autonomous region).

''We could not submit the memorandum to the Governor who was out of station but staged dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan '', AAPSU President Kanu Bagang said.

He, however, refused to divulge the nature of the second phase of agitation likely to be launched in coming days.

The Mon Autonomous Region Demand Committee (MARDC) and Patkai Autonomous Region Demand Committee (PARDC) headed by MLA T G Rimpoche and Speaker Setong Sena respectively, had been spearheading the movement to gain autonomy for the four districts of the state.

Recently, both the leaders along with supporters had visited the national capital to lobby their demands and were given positive signals from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Earlier, the AAPSU in a statement declared its stand against the movement to divide the state in the name of autonomous councils by some politicians and leaders with vested interests sans any legitimate reasons.

Terming the movement of both the committees 'unfortunate', the students' organistion viewed it as a sad development in the history of the state and called upon the leaders to inculcate a futuristic vision to sustain the unity and diversity of the state.

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