The issue of granting Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) to six communities/tribes that are as yet not a part of the Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes list has led to agitation as well as incidents of violence in the state.
What is PRC?
Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) is a legal document issued to Indian citizens that serves as evidence of residence and is required to be submitted as residential proof for official purpose. The PRC proves the domicile of an applicant which enables them to obtain domicile specific quota during admissions in educational institutes. It can also be required for jobs or career opportunities.
Who has it, who wants it?
The Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APST) hold the PRC in Arunachal Pradesh. Other communities that have lived in the state for decades have been demanding the PRC as they can’t prove their domicile during background checks. Some of these communities are considered scheduled tribes in Assam but are not acknowledged in Arunachal Pradesh where they have been living for years. They don’t have any official land rights either. Their counterparts in Assam although enjoy PRC and land rights. The Gorkhas and ex-servicemen living in Changlang are also seeking PRC. They are settled on land leased from the Yobin community and pay rent. Their lease expires in 2020.
A Joint High Power Committee (JHPC) was formed by the state government on May 1, 2018, with the help of senior politicians, student leaders, community stakeholders and others, to take stock of demand for PRC in the state. They held meetings in Changlang, Namsai, Tezu and other areas and discussed all the matters and concerns. The JHPC was given the deadline of January 2019 to submit their findings and report. The JHPC report was to be tabled in the state assembly on February 23 in the current session.
The New Year Gift
But even before the report could be submitted, Arunachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Pema Khandu offered a New Year gift! In December 2018, Khandu announced that people from six communities that are perceived as non-native to the state, namely Adivasi, Deori, Gorkha, Mishing, Moran, and SonowalKachari, and ex-servicemen residing in Changlang and Namsai districts will be granted PRC, with 1968 serving as the cut-off year.
Who opposes PRC?
The Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APST) believe that giving PRC to non-native tribes/communities will dilute the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act of 1873 which leads the Inner Line Permit (ILP) rule in the state. This rule makes it mandatory for all non-permanent residents and visitors to obtain this ILP permit before entering the state. This permit is demanded at entry checkpoints at various places in the state. They APSTs feel that granting PRC to these communities will endanger their local culture and land rights with the ease in inflow. The powerful groups and organisations feel granting them the permanent residences will hamper the rights and interests of the indigenous people of the state. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) had demanded that the JHPC make it mandatory that non APST communities should continue to take ILP to enter or live in the state and on tribal land.
Escalation of Violence
A copy of the JHPC recommendations was allegedly leaked in mid-February, and anger began to boil over when it was discovered that they had recommended granting permanent resident certificates (PRC) to the six tribes/communities.
All Tai KhamptiSingpho Students’ Union (ATKSSU) and All Namsai Districts Students’ Union (ANDSU) vehemently rejected the recommendations, while the AAPSU offered conditional support. On February 21, the AAPSU clarified the nature of its support for the PRC stating that they would back the PRC if it would be used only for educational and employment purposes by families recorded in the cadastral survey of 1968, and that PRCs would not grant the non-APSTs rights at par with the APSTs.
Violence erupted on February 22, just a day before the report was to be tabled, and Arunachal Pradesh continued to burn for three days. It was, therefore, decided not to table the report on February 23. An agitated mob ransacked and burnt the private residence of deputy chief minister Chowna Mein. And on February 24, two people were killed and three injured when protesters tried to attack the private home of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu at the ESS sector in Itanagar in the afternoon. Protestors set ablaze five vehicles and also burnt the offices of All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) and All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) here, police said.
AAPSU President HawaBagang had condemned the violence saying, “Though everyone has the right to take up democratic means to get their voices heard, it is also important to know the depth of the issue before protesting and creating law and order problems.”
Meanwhile, the PRC demanding communities intensified their demands in the state by blocking the National Highway connecting Namsai in Assam to Deori dominated Mahadevpur in Arunachal Pradesh. Bandhs and economic blockades were announced by the communities.
CM Khandu called an all-party meeting to take stock of the situation and decide on the future course of action, but none of the parties, including the opposition Congress, NPP and the PPA, turned up.
Meanwhile, on February 25 the Congress delegation led by party General Secretary LuizinhoFaleiro submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asking for the immediate dismissal of Chief Minster Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Union Minuster of State for Home Affairs KirenRijiju.
What next?
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Satya Gopal issued a statement on Sunday that said, “Considering the present situation pertaining to grant of PRCs to non-APST (Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes) of Namsai and Changlang districts, the state government has decided that no further action will be taken in grant of PRCs.”
The ongoing assembly session was also adjourned sine die by speaker TenzingNorbuThongdok on Saturday. Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu clarified that the state government was not bringing the bill on PRC but only tabling the report of the panel. However, despite the state government declaration, the protests continued and the protesters were demanding the resignation of both the CM and Deputy CM. Sources said that the state possibly is staring at a President Rule shortly.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu said his government will never again take up the issue of granting PRC to non-natives of Arunachal Pradesh.
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Political blame game begins
The Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Tapir Gao told The Indian Express, “This violence is definitely politically backed by the Congress. The government has already agreed to not table the recommendations and discuss the matter. It is an attempt to destabilise the BJP government in the state. Goons have been going around Itanagar for the last few days.”
TakamSanjoy president of the state unit of the Congress told The Indian Express that the violence signifies a “total failure of the government” and that President’s Rule should be imposed immediately in the state.
“In my lifetime, I am seeing this is the worst condition of the state. How can the BJP blame the Congress? Who brought the bill to grant PRC in the Assembly? Who constituted the JHPC? Is there a Congress government now in Arunachal? The BJP is blaming the Congress to hide its own failure. The Army has been called in, mobile internet is banned.”
On Sunday, Rijiju in a tweet asked the state’s people to maintain peace.
Instability in state politics
Arunachal Pradesh has of late seen a series of unstable governments and mass defections. With the new volatility, politicians are switching parties again. This reverses the trend of the last few years, where the Congress saw an exodus from its ranks and into those of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies. Ruled by a BJP-led coalition at present, the term of the present government expires on June 1, 2019.
The most high-profile resignation from the BJP so far has been that of former Chief Minister GegongApang. On January 15, he quit the ruling party, which he had joined in 2014. He lashed out at the BJP’s central leadership in his resignation letter. It “hates decentralisation or democratic decision making”, he wrote, “the party is now a platform to seek power”.
2016 saw the state plunged into the months-long political turmoil that saw three chief ministers in a short span besides imposition of President’s rule for a brief period.
In the long-drawn political drama, Governor J P Rajkhowa was dismissed on September 22. Observers say this was apparently because he had failed to “ensure a lasting BJP-led or BJP-blessed government” in the state.
The political crisis in the frontier state stemmed from the ouster of KalikhoPul from the Council of Ministers in April 2015. Soon after his exit, Pul went about spilling the beans on the poor financial health of the state under the then Chief Minister NabamTuki’s leadership. The state was thrown into chaos when he was found hanging inside the chief minister’s official bungalow on August 9, which he was yet to vacate.