HT Digital
ITANAGAR, Feb 24: The Namsai police apprehended five persons on Sunday during an agitation by the All Moran Students’ Union Arunachal Pradesh unit, which sought permanent residence certificates (PRC) for the Moran community in Namsai district.
A case was lodged against them, and they were later released after interrogation. This protest was one of AMSU’s continuous movements, which also involved boycotting the Statehood Day festivities and obstructing the national highway to promote their PRC demand.
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During the agitation, AMSU members enforced a blockade near the Dirak gate and disrupted the Statehood Day celebration venue while waving black flags. Despite these disturbances, Namsai Deputy Commissioner CR Khampa assured that the situation was under control.
“There was some disruption earlier, but yesterday the road is open for traffic, and there are no more disruptions. The AMSU members have put forward their demand for PRC,” Khampa said.
The AMSU’s Arunachal Pradesh unit has remained steadfast in its demand, pledging to continue its fight for the recognition of the Moran community’s rights. In a media interview, AMSU adviser Manoj Kumar Moran stressed the validity of their demand.
He pointed out that the Moran people had been residing in the area much earlier than Arunachal Pradesh was formed as a state. He asserted that their elders had been issued PRC until the 1990s, but the process was stopped, and they were left without their rights.
Moran also pointed out that a survey conducted before 2019 involved multiple stakeholders, and a consensus was reached that the Arunachal government would grant PRC to the Moran community. However, no action followed.
Expressing his frustration, he said, “Our agitation will continue if our demand is not fulfilled. We are being treated like second-class citizens, which is truly unfortunate.”
The AMSU agitation is not a fresh phenomenon. The union also organized protests in November 2023, reiterating their continued demand for PR.
