Chakma, Hajong bodies to launch ‘non-cooperation movement’ over RPC issue on Dec 30

All Chakma and Hajong community-based organisations, led by the Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students’ Union (APCSU) and the Arunachal Pradesh Hajong Students’ Union said on Wednesday that they would hold a peaceful rally on December 30 at Diyun to protest the government’s inaction in restoring the Residential Proof Certificate (RPCs) issuance to the Chakmas and Hajongs of Arunachal Pradesh.
“Since the 23rd of December, thousands of students have been protesting at Diyun, boycotting their classes in all government run schools, and markets in all Chakma areas are shut down,” the organisations said in a release.
The Residential Proof Certificate (RPC) is a basic document issued to the Chakma-Hajongs for admission to educational institutions, getting central government and Indian Paramilitary Forces jobs and jobs in the private sector and other access to other facilities and benefits.
The agitating group alleged that “The abrupt cancellation of RPCs to these two marginalized communities would deprive them of their basic rights to education and livelihood. The systematic effort of the government to take away the basic rights one after the other over the last four decades has resulted in the two communities silently suffering, meeting rejections and hardships despite successive governments making unfulfilled promises to resolve the issues with respect to the Supreme Court’s judgment of 17th September 2015.”
Earlier, the APCSU has also warned of escalating the protest further and taking it to the national capital if the Arunachal Pradesh government is unable to come up with a positive response. The APCSU had also threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike. The Union said that there are boys who are ready to die for the cause, and for the betterment of the next generation.

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