The Student Union Movement of All Arunachal (SUMAA) Vice President Kaling Moyong during a press conference accused the state government of carrying out anti-tribal policy in adopting the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, in Itanagar, India, on 3 October 2017. Video grab/Itanagar News
Tibet Sun Newsroom
McLEOD GANJ, India, 5 October 2017
Tibetans in Arunachal Pradesh state in northeast India are facing the wrath of the local people, who demand that they forfeit the facilities they have been given.
The Student Union Movement of All Arunachal (SUMAA) in a press conference on Tuesday accused the state government of adopting an anti-tribal policy, and asked them to immediately cancel all facilities provided to them under the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy (TRP).
“The state cabinet’s decision to adopt TRP 2014 is a matter of great
concern. It is sad to see that the state government focussing on the
welfare of the refugees while neglecting important issues of the state,”
SUMAA Vice President Kaling Moyong said,
the Sentinel reported.
Mayong said that the decision was taken without the consent of the indigenous people. “We will never allow or accept foreigners, Chakma-Hajongs or Tibetans, ruling the land of the indigenous people.”
He feared that the policy may adversely affect the rights of the indigenous communities in the near future.
“Once TRP 2014 is implemented, all the benefits such as MGNREGA, PDS, Indira Awas Yojana, and National Rural Health Mission provided by the Centre to our people will be snatched away by the refugees, which will disturb the state’s ethnic balance.”
Mayong demanded that all district administration heads conduct a survey to identify all Tibetans living in areas under their jurisdiction, and immediately cancel all facilities provided to them under the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy (TRP).
He also asked the state government for immediate cancellation of schedule tribe (ST) status of those who obtained it illegally.
Moyong also said Tibetans are the only refugees in the world enjoying so many privileges compared to other refugees under United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other groups.
Arunachal Pradesh adopted the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, which was formalised by the Central Government of India in 2014 in, August.
The state has the fourth largest number of Tibetans in India, with four settlements in Tezu, Miao, Tuting, and Tenzingang, with about 7,000 Tibetans there. There are about 90,000 Tibetans living in India altogether.
Posters asking Tibetans to leave have appeared in the past.
CTA taking advantage of India and her people by not allowing Tibetans to apply as Indian nationals. The reasons are that CTA can continue enjoying special privileges from India and not having to pay taxes.
Shameful to those foolish bad locals. Tibetans will [contribute to] the local economy and prosper Arunachal Pradesh. 7500 Tibetans is not even one percent of the total population of Arunachal Pradesh.
Dear SUMAA brothers,
We are deeply saddened by your recent move to challenge state authority regarding Tibetan rehabilitation program. I hope you are not being used by hostile power with hidden agenda to harm the interest of Tibetan refugees as well as India.
We have common and shared history for thousands of years and it is your moral duty to help us on the humanitarian ground. Please don’t come under the influence of those people who neither wish us good nor to you. As a Tibetan, I would like to assure you that we are very grateful to the people and Government of India for hosting us in this land of Ahimsa, for over five decades. We appreciate your kindness, generosity and big heart for helping us as your own people. The relationship between the people of India and Tibet is as old as mountains of Himalayas, and no force on this planet can separate us.
A few Tibetan refugee camps spread over Arunachal Pradesh state cannot change the demographic set up and tilt the balance in favor of refugee population residing there. Neither we have the sufficient manpower nor available resources to over take any local commercial interest of your people.
We can live together side by side in complete peace and harmony as one family.
SUMAA rep doesn’t know that only in 1952, India took over Arunachal Pradesh, then ruled by Tibetans. That is history now. Who is really the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh, check the history. Tibetan population of less than 0.1 percent of Arunachal Pradesh will never harm the daily life of the region. In fact Tibetan people have benefit the region spiritually, morally and list goes on. I don’t think SUMMA is speaking on behalf of the people, there is political motive.
It is very unfortunate to hear that. I know the local had kicked away other Indian foreigners in the past years. But there children and people can roam and live in other state freely. This expression show there cheap attitude and selfishness and unwelcome nature indicate that savageness still live in there mind root in this modern ages.