The Telegraph
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040421/asp/northeast/story_3151979.asp
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
OUR CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, April 20: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU)
today decided to boycott the general elections after the Election
Commission refused to retract its order allowing the Chakmas and Hajongs
the right to vote.
The boycott decision was announced after an AAPSU delegation's
last-minute efforts to convince the Election Commission to cancel the
names of the 1,497 voters enrolled in the poll list last month failed to
make any impact.
"We had no option but to give a call to the people to boycott the
elections. The Centre has refused to budge from its position," said
AAPSU president Byabang Taj, who was part of the four-member student
delegation.
Arunachal Pradesh goes to the polls in the third phase of elections on
May 5.
Though the students managed to submit a memorandum to the poll panel
highlighting their demands, their request for an appointment with the
chief election commissioner was not entertained.
The students, along with representatives of the Arunachal Students'
Union Delhi and the Arunachal Citizens' Rights, also demonstrated in
front of Jantar Mantar to draw attention to their demands.
Earlier, the delegates called on Union law minister Arun Jaitley to
discuss the matter.
Jaitley, who held talks on the issue with the law secretary and
officials of the poll panel yesterday, informed the students of the
commission's stand.
"The Election Commission officials told Jaitley that they were following
a Supreme Court judgment, which means that they will stick to their
earlier decision," Arunachal Citizens' Rights chairman Bamang Anthony
said.
In a judgment passed in 1996, the Supreme Court had ordered that the
procedure to grant citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajongs be initiated.
The delegates, however, maintained that the Chakmas and Hajongs should
not be granted voting rights as they did not possess necessary documents
like the inner line permit.
The Chakmas and Hajongs, who arrived in the hill state from Bangladesh
in the mid-sixties, are the fourth largest community in Arunachal
Pradesh after the Adis, Nishis, and Mishmis.
Cutting across party lines, successive governments in Itanagar have
opposed their permanent settlement in the state.
The core committee, comprising representatives of all parties, has
supported the AAPSU's decision to boycott the elections. However,
candidates of all major parties filed nominations later in the day,
ruling out the possibility of a total boycott.