Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, 17 May: The Arunachal Schedule Tribes Bachao Andolan Committee (ASTBAC) on Sunday served seven days’ ultimatum to the state government to address its demands, failing which, it said, it would be compelled to enforce a 72-hour statewide bandh.

“If the government fails to address our demands, there will be 72 hours statewide bandh call,” stated ASTBAC chairman Sol Dodum.

The ASTBAC has been demanding that the state government introduce a foolproof Inner Line Permit (ILP) checking mechanism, which should ensure that the state is safeguarded from illegal immigrants, which is a major concern for the indigenous citizens.

The ASTBAC also demanded that there should be a clear dossier on the family trees of Tibetan refugees who have been settled in the state. The committee claimed that the current ILP mechanism is porous and plagued by corrupt system both at the secretariat and at the check gates.

“The government’s current ILP revamping proposal only talks about the positive points. There are so many drawbacks which need to be corrected and strengthened. How come the political secretary is empowered to issue temporary ILP to any person for any place?” questioned ASTBAC general secretary Millo Ambo.

“There should be stringent clauses to ensure that no authority misuses the power. It is mentioned in the clause that ILPs for mega project works can be extended to two years,” Ambo added.

The committee informed that its members are not going to meet Home Minister Mama Natung on Monday. However, it said that the door is open for discussion with the chief minister. “We did not accept the invitation from the home minister for a roundtable discussion. If the government wants to resolve this issue, the chief minister should invite us for discussion,” said Dodum.

The committee informed that it is launching an online petition on the issue, starting Sunday evening, for three days. The petition’s outcome (data) would be submitted to the government with a proper representation, and the government would be given four days’ time to work on the issue, it said.

Dodum clarified that the committee’s 36-hour capital bandh was not at all a politically motivated move. “Whatever happened was because of mishandling by the state government, particularly the home minister,” he said.

“Had he not provoked the public by resorting to forcible opening of the market, there would not have been such violence,” said Dodum.

He expressed regret that many police personnel, mediapersons and officials sustained injuries and were subjected to abusive languages during the bandh hours.