GUWAHATI: The Centre’s move to grant citizenship to the Bangladeshi Chakma-Hajong refugees, residing in Arunachal Pradesh, has opened up a Pandora’s Box.
After Arunachal, an anti-refugee sentiment is now building up in Mizoram where two political parties, Zoram Nationalist Party and the Mizoram Peoples’ Conference, have decided not to field any Chakmas in next year’s Assembly elections. The Congress-ruled Mizoram, besides Tripura and Arunachal, has a sizeable Chakma population.
Last month, the Centre had decided to grant “limited” citizenship to the Chakmas and the Hajongs living in Arunachal. The move came following an order of the Supreme Court which in 2015 had pronounced to grant citizenship to the refugees, who are original residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
Recently, the influential Young Mizo Association (YMA) adopted a resolution seeking the abolition of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram. Subsequently, the Zoram Nationalist Party and the Mizoram Peoples’ Conference decided not to field any Chakma candidates in the upcoming polls.
The YMA’s demand has left the Chakmas miffed.
“By demanding the abolition CADC, the YMA is communalising the administrative arrangements made for minorities in the state,” said Paritosh Chakma, convenor of Mizoram Chakma Areas Single Administration Demand Committee.
In August, BD Chakma, who was the lone Chakma in the Lal Thanhawla ministry, resigned alleging racial discrimination after four Chakma students were denied medical seats despite merit.
The protests against the refugees are widespread in Arunachal. The state Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution against the Centre’s move. Members cutting across party lines felt that the Centre’s decision would alter the state’s demography and minimise the scope of economic opportunities for the locals.
Speaking on the resolution, chief minister Pema Khandu accused the refugees of “creating law and order problems” and encroaching upon over 7,000 hectares of forest and government land.
The Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists while the Hajongs are largely Hindus. They were among the earliest persecuted groups to have fled the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and migrated to India. Their migration to Arunachal took place during 1964-69.
Their population is believed to be around one lakh but Chakma organisations claim that it is 55,000. As such, they insist that the threat perception that they will outnumber the local tribes is without any basis.
