Amid violent protests, Arunachal Pradesh scraps Permanent Residency move

Itanagar, Feb 24: Amid violent protests, the BJP-led Arunachal Pradesh government on Sunday scrapped the decision of granting permanent resident certificates (PRC) status to two tribes from outside the state.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said that the state government has decided to not accept the recommendations of a high-level committee to grant permanent resident certificates to six communities, and blamed the Congress for "instigating" a section of people.

In separate tweets, Rijiju said the Arunachal Pradesh government has passed an order to not accept the recommendations of the Joint High-Powered Committee to grant PRC to six communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts.

Chief minister Pema Khandhu called for an all-party meeting in the wake of persistent violence in the state.

The announcement came after daylong protests during which Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein's private house was torched.

The incident happened despite an indefinite curfew being clamped in Itanagar and Naharlagun after protesters resorted to stone pelting on Saturday, in which 35 people, including 24 police personnel, were injured.

The protests escalated after a person who was injured in police firing on Friday succumbed to injuries at a hospital. On Sunday, people gathered in droves and damaged public property and vehicles, PTI quoted police officials as saying. In the violence, the private residence of the deputy CM at Niti Vihar was set on fire. However, Chowna Mein was not at his residence at that time.

Besides ransacking the deputy commissioner's office, the protesters also set ablaze a large number of vehicles parked in the compound and also attacked the Itanagar Police station. Commuters too faced hurdles after the road leading to Naharlagun railway station was blocked by the agitators.

Internet services have been suspended in Itanagar and Naharlagun. With all markets, petrol pumps and shops closed and most of the ATMs running out of cash, normal life was thrown out of gear in the state capital.

People in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh have been protesting after the state government announced that it was considering issuing permanent resident certificates (PRC) to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APSTs) communities living in the Namsai and Changlang districts and to the Gorkhas living in Vijaynagar.

Amongst those communities are Deoris, Sonowal Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis and Mishings. Most of these communities are recognised as Scheduled Tribes in neighbouring Assam.