'Racial profiling' of Chakmas, Hajongs: NHRC seeks report from Centre, Arunachal govt

The Chakma Development Foundation of India had lodged a complaint alleging racial profiling and that the Arunachal government was planning to relocate the Chakmas and Hajongs through an illegal census
The Buddhist Chakmas and the Hindu Hajongs were resettled in Arunachal during 1964-69 by the central government (File Photo | PTI)
The Buddhist Chakmas and the Hindu Hajongs were resettled in Arunachal during 1964-69 by the central government (File Photo | PTI)

GUWAHATI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Arunachal Pradesh government to submit, within six weeks, the report on the action taken against alleged racial profiling of the Chakmas and Hajongs and the state government’s move to relocate them.

The Commission directed them to ensure the protection of human rights of people belonging to the two communities.

Earlier, the Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) had lodged a complaint with the NHRC alleging racial profiling and that the Arunachal government was planning to relocate the Chakmas and Hajongs through an illegal census which was scheduled to commence from December 11 last year.

“Out of the 65,000 Chakmas and Hajongs, about 60,500 are citizens by birth; thousands are casting votes while the citizenship applications of 4,000 migrants are yet to be processed,” CDFI founder Suhas Chakma said.

In October 1995, the NHRC had approached the Supreme Court seeking the protection of the lives and liberties of the Chakmas and the Hajongs. On January 9, 1996, the SC had pronounced its judgment, directing the Centre and the Arunachal government to process the citizenship applications of the people. However, nothing has happened on the ground till date, the CDFI founder lamented.

In his complaint, he said on August 15 last year, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu had announced that the Chakmas and Hajongs would be relocated outside of the state and it was confirmed by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.

In order to implement the plan, he said the district magistrate of Changlang had on November 26 last year notified the conduct of “Census of Chakmas and Hajongs” in all Chakma/Hajong-inhabited areas of the district to prepare and submit a report to the government on or before December 31 the same year.

Viewing this as an act of racial profiling, the CDFI founder said, “The recent measures being taken by the state with respect to Chakmas and Hajongs are absolutely contrary to the laws of the land and judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court on their rights.”

The Chakmas and Hajongs trace their roots to Bangladesh. Displaced by a dam in the then East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh), the Buddhist Chakmas and the Hindu Hajongs were resettled in Arunachal during 1964-69 by the central government.

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