Not ready to accept citizenship for Chakma, Hajong refugees: CM Khandu to Rajnath

The Centre had recently decided to grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees who have been residing in northeastern states for over 50 years now.

Published on: Sep 18, 2017, 23:24:36 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu wrote to Union home minister Rajnath Singh Monday expressing his state’s “inability” to accept the Centre’s decision to grant citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees residing in the northeastern state.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu (PTI File Photo)

Reiterating “concerns of the people”, the CM said that the issue is of “deep emotional concern” and the “state is not ready to accept any infringement of the constitutional protection bestowed on the state’s tribals”.

Khandu said Arunachal Pradesh is a predominantly tribal state to which the Constitution has provided special safeguards to protect the rights of the indigenous people from the outsiders.

“The people of my state….want to ensure that the ethnic composition and the special rights enjoyed by the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh are safeguarded at all cost,” Khandu wrote to Rajnath.

The Centre had recently decided to grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees who have been residing in northeastern states for over 50 years now.

The decision had evoked sharp reactions in Arunachal Pradesh, where nearly 50,000 of the refugees who fled from Bangladesh in 1964 reside. Chakmas are Buddhists while Hajongs are Hindus.

The Centre’s decision to grant citizenship follows a 2015 Supreme Court order.

But the refugees won’t have any land rights and would need to have an inner line permit to reside in Arunachal Pradesh, where there are restrictions on entry of outsiders.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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