27-Apr-2020: Chakmas and Hajongs need help: rights group

A Delhi-based rights body has sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in ensuring food for the Chakma and Hajong communities in Arunachal Pradesh who have allegedly not been included in the government’s relief economic package.

Chakmas and Hajongs came to India from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), having lost their homes and land to the Kaptai dam project (Karnaphuli river) in the mid-1960s. They also faced religious persecution. Chakmas are Buddhists, while Hajongs are Hindus. Chakmas are close to Bengali-Assamese; Hajongs speak a Tibeto-Burman tongue written in Assamese.

The Chakmas and Hajongs do not have ration cards as the State government had seized those through an order on October 25, 1991. Hence, the two communities have been forced to buy rice at a higher price while other vulnerable sections have been paying lesser, as per the economic package announced by the State government. This has resulted in starvation of members of the community who had legally become Indian citizens.

Highlighting that denial of food is a violation of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, request has been made to the Prime Minister to provide the two communities rice at the subsidised price.

13-Sep-2017: Home Ministry clears granting citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees

The Union Home Ministry cleared the citizenship for over one lakh Chakma-Hajongs, Buddhists, and Hindus, who fled to India in the 1960 s to escape religious persecution in Chittagong Hill area of Bangladesh (the then undivided Pakistan).

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, MoS Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu were also present in the meeting.

Emerging from the meeting, Mr. Rijiju said, "Supreme Court order has to be honoured. Chakmas are settled in Arunachal Pradesh since 1964. But Scheduled Tribe status and indigenous people's right won't be diluted."

In 2015, the top court had asked the Centre to grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajongs. Arunachal Pradesh government had earlier opposed the move and had said it would change the demography of the State.