ITANAGAR — In a bold move to confront what it describes as a growing demographic threat, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has announced a comprehensive campaign to combat illegal immigration across the state. At a press briefing, AAPSU General Secretary Ritum Tali unveiled a month-long action plan that includes mass protests and a public referendum, warning that inaction by the government could destabilise Arunachal Pradesh’s indigenous identity and social fabric.
The union’s campaign will officially kick off with simultaneous dharnas and rallies at all district headquarters on June 9. This will be followed by a large-scale public referendum in the Itanagar Capital Region on June 16, intended to gauge and amplify public sentiment on the issue.
The decisions were made during a recent meeting at the NEFA Club in Itanagar, where the union adopted a four-point resolution outlining its core demands. Central among them is a call for urgent voter list purification, with AAPSU insisting that names of non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) individuals and illegal immigrants be removed from the electoral rolls. The union is urging the government to approve a cabinet-level resolution for a rigorous three-tier verification mechanism to safeguard electoral integrity.
AAPSU has also called for a concrete policy on the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants. The union specifically named Chakma-Hajong settlers, Bangladeshi Muslims, and people of Nepali, Bhutanese, and Tibetan origin as groups of concern, citing their continued presence as a risk to the political and cultural landscape of the state.
“The government must act immediately. Failure to address this issue could lead to severe public unrest,” Tali warned, underscoring the urgency of implementing corrective measures.
The proposed referendum and district-wide protests are expected to not only reignite public discourse but also apply significant pressure on the state administration to formulate and implement firm immigration controls. The issue of illegal immigration has long been a contentious and emotional one in Arunachal Pradesh, and AAPSU’s renewed push signals a more aggressive phase in the ongoing debate.
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