Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: The Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe Protection Forum (APSTF) has sought clarification from the state government regarding the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of the Yobin (Lisu) community of Changlang district.
The Forum claimed that, as per Article 342 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of India, the Yobin community does not figure in the official list of Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference here today, APSTF president Tai Saktar said the constitutional status of the Yobin community must be clarified by the Chief Minister’s Office, as the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment & Tribal Affairs (SJETA) has “failed to maintain transparency” on the issue.
“The list of Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 is notified only by the President of India through a public notification and can be altered or amended only by an Act of Parliament. No state government or department has the authority to include or recognize any community as ST without parliamentary approval,” Saktar asserted.
The Forum further stated that, until the matter is clarified, the Yobin community should be restricted from participating in the state’s electoral process. It also demanded a ban and withdrawal of the book ‘Ethnic Communities of Arunachal Pradesh’ authored by Batem Pertin, and the removal of the Yobin community’s statue or displays from the JN State Museum, claiming that these representations are “constitutionally unauthorized.”
Alleging that the Yobin community has been incorrectly portrayed as a Scheduled Tribe, the APSTF said such actions violate constitutional provisions and misrepresent the officially recognized tribes of the state. The Forum further declared that it would oppose the participation of the Yobin community in any national events until their status is legally clarified.