Northeast News – PRC issue reemerges in Namsai; Moran community demands solution

Staff Reporter

NAMSAI, 12 Oct: The contentious permanent residence certificate (PRC) issue has been renewed in Namsai district as hundreds joined a peaceful protest staged by the All Moran Students’ Union in Lekang on Thursday, demanding that the state government come up with a “permanent solution” to the issue.

The Moran community living in Lekang circle claims that they are being deprived of their basic right to obtain a PRC, arguing that denying them the right to obtain PRCs is unjust.

Addressing the rally, Moran Sabha general secretary Bitupon Moran said that the community would form a political party “as it has been historically deprived of political rights.”

“The community will go to the Supreme Court to seek what is constitutionally entitled to the Moran community in Assam and Arunachal, as whatever is due to the community has been deprived,” Bitupon said.

“We should start a movement for job reservation and PRC as we are the indigenous people of the area,” he said, and asked the community’s members to “unite for the cause.”

“Our grievances have not been heard, so we will have a Moran territorial autonomy region. We are asking the governments of Arunachal and Assam and the Centre to give what is due to us. If we bow before Pema Khandu and Chowna Mein, our rights will not be granted to us. Do you have the courage to seek your rights?” he asked the gathering.

The union has also demanded “educational stipend, scholarship, and reservation for higher education courses such as medical, paramedical and technical.” It has also demanded job reservation, old-age pension, and land possession certificates for them.

The state government had in February 2019 scrapped the PRC issue altogether after three people died in the violence that had erupted in protest against the proposal to grant PRCs to the non-APST residents of Namsai and Changlang districts.