25-Feb-2019: Arunachal Pradesh drops PRC amid violent protests

Amid violent protests in Arunachal Pradesh, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the state government has decided to not accept the recommendations of a high-level committee to grant permanent resident certificates (PRC) to six communities.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has passed an order to not accept the recommendations of the Joint High-Powered Committee to grant PRC to six communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts.

The protest and vandalism began during a 48-hour shut down called by at least 18 local organisations to protest the government’s move to grant PRC to the communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts. The organisations are against the move fearing that this could allow them get reservations in jobs and educational institutes meant for the STs.

The state government decided to postpone the move in view of the protests but the agitators refused to relent till chief minister resigned and seek apology for deaths of the three protesters who were dead in police firing. The army was called in on Saturday and Section 144 CrPC was clamped in Itanagar to control the situation.