Arunachal: Indigenous people’s forum continues to oppose PRC issue

Itanagar: Reiterating its demand for withdrawal of statements given by the chief minister and his deputy to grant permanent resident certificates (PRC) to non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) communities settled in the Lekang circle of Namsai district, the United Arunachal Indigenous People’s Forum (UAIPF) on Sunday took out a mass protest rally from Nirjuli to the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar.

While addressing a public meeting at Vijaynagar in Changlang on December 14 last year, CM Pema Khandu had announced that his government was looking into the odds of granting PRCs to six non-APST communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts and to the Gorkhas living in Vijaynagar.

He, however, had said the interests of the indigenous population would be taken into consideration and cut-off dates would be set to qualify for permanent resident certificates.