Itanagar: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) on Friday served a seven-day ultimatum to the state’s Social Justice, Empowerment and Tribal Affairs (SJETA) secretary, demanding the proposed draft on the “offspring” issue be published.
The AAPSU has been demanding a permanent solution to the matter of the offspring of an Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) woman and a non-APST man enjoying ST benefits in the state.
Addressing media persons at the Press Club here, AAPSU president Hawa Bagang said, “It is such a shame that the SJETA department has taken two years to frame a single draft on the issue.”
“The delay in publishing a basic draft proposal despite several sittings and verbal pleadings reflect the non-serious attitude of the department concerned. This also shows that unless pressure is built, no work is done by the government officials,” Bagang said.
The AAPSU president said many non-APST offspring who are born and settled in the state might claim themselves to be Arunachalee in the coming years, which is a threat to the indigenous people of the state, their culture, language and land.
He said the AAPSU will take serious action if there is any threat to the interest of the state.
Bagang claimed that the union has a list of 80 non-APST offspring possessing APST certificates and enjoying the benefits in the state. He warned the officers responsible for handing APST certificates to these non-APST offspring.
“We have served a seven-day notice as the SJETA secretary has promised to publish the draft within this period. If the authority concerned fails to do so within seven days, the union will go beyond any democratic movement,” the AAPSU president said.
