New Delhi: A mob in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, bordering Myanmar, burnt a number of government offices besides ransacking the local police station and a helipad on Saturday, December 12.
The mob reportedly led by a student body, All Yobin Students Union, carried out the attack in the Vijoynagar area of the district. They have been opposing the authorities’ decision to enrol ex-Assam Rifles personnel, belonging to Scheduled Tribes and settled in the area, in the panchayat voters’ list.
The students’ body has been demanding their removal from the area on the ground that they are “outsiders” and should not be extended the same rights under the panchayati raj as other Scheduled Tribes.
Several student bodies, primarily the All Arunachal Pradesh Anti-Corruption Students Union, have been running a campaign since last year against the enrolment of scheduled tribes who are not from Arunachal Pradesh in the panchayat voters list. Thought the polls were initially scheduled to be held on December 22, they had to be postponed till a decision could be arrived on the matter.
A procession, led by the student body, was taken out against the enrolment issue on December 11 morning which soon turned violent. According to an Arunachal Times report quoting local police sources, youths and the public led by All Yobin Students Union burnt the extra assistant commissioner’s office, post office, and the special bureau (SB) branch besides ransacking the local police station at around 8.30 am. A helipad was also said to be partially damaged.
“They were around 400 in number and came from Gandhigram with daos, lathis, bows, and arrows, shouting Hamari maangey puri karo,” the police sources told the newspaper.
Devesh Yadav, deputy commissioner, Changlang, told Hindustan Times, “There were no injuries or casualties but government property was destroyed.”
The report said the Changlang administration took help from Assam Rifles and rushed in senior police officials to Vijoynagar to bring the situation under control and also arrest the miscreants.
Expressing shock at the incident, state home minister Bamang Felix said, “We accepted the demand of the Yobin students union and accordingly panchayat election was postponed. Whatever happened is unfortunate and violence has no place in modern society.”