Itanagar, May 27: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday assured that the State Government would work collectively with all stakeholders to arrive at concrete and long-term solutions on issues relating to indigenous tribal rights, demographic concerns, Inner Line Permit (ILP) regulation and APST-related matters.
Addressing a high-level consultative meeting at the State Banquet Hall here, the Chief Minister described the deliberations as “historic,” with participation from major stakeholders including community-based organisations (CBOs), student bodies, legal experts, civil society representatives, political leaders and senior government officials.
The marathon meeting, which continued for nearly seven-and-a-half hours without interruption, was attended by representatives of Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), ST Bachao Andolan Committee, political parties and senior officers from the Home, Law and Political departments, along with the Directorate of Indigenous Affairs and other concerned departments.
CM Khandu expressed gratitude to the ST Bachao Andolan Committee for drawing the Government’s attention towards what he termed a “long-burning issue” that has remained unresolved despite repeated discussions in the past.
He stated that the concerns raised are not unique to Arunachal Pradesh alone but are part of a larger national challenge linked to illegal immigration, demographic changes and threats to indigenous identity and cultural preservation.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025, the Chief Minister said the Union Government has already recognised demographic imbalance and illegal immigration as serious concerns affecting law and order, indigenous culture and national security.
He informed the gathering that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently notified a national-level High-Level Committee on Demographic Change comprising retired judicial and administrative officials, indicating that the matter is receiving serious attention at the national level.
The Chief Minister stated that the State Government has, in principle, accepted four major demands raised during the meeting, including the long-standing demand for creation of a separate department dedicated to management and regulation of the ILP system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR).
Announcing in-principle approval for creation of a separate ILP Department, he noted that the proposal had consistently been advocated by both AAPSU and ST Bachao Andolan Committee.
Khandu also acknowledged concerns regarding demographic changes and their impact on indigenous tribal culture, traditions and identity, stating that preservation of Arunachal Pradesh’s unique cultural heritage remains a collective responsibility.
Emphasising the need for long-term solutions, the Chief Minister strongly advocated skill development and capacity-building among local youths to reduce dependence on outside labour and workforce.
Citing the example of Mizoram, he highlighted the importance of dignity of labour and vocational skills training. He shared an example of a group of tribal youths from Arunachal Pradesh who underwent specialised training in plumbing and electrical works in Bengaluru. After returning to the state, the trained youths completed a project in Pasighat for Rs 10 lakh, while outside contractors had quoted Rs 18 lakh for the same work.
The Chief Minister urged all apex community-based organisations to actively encourage skilling initiatives among tribal youths and strengthen skill development programmes across the state.
As a major outcome of the meeting, Khandu announced the formation of a high-level committee to further deliberate on the issues discussed and recommend an appropriate way forward.
He informed that a follow-up meeting would be convened on May 29 for formal constitution of the committee and invited seven members each from AITF, AAPSU and STBAC, along with members from the legal fraternity, to participate in the process.
The Chief Minister assured that the Government would officially notify the committee after finalisation of members and that all recommendations submitted by the committee would be discussed transparently and collectively before any final policy decisions are taken.
Reiterating the spirit of “Team Arunachal,” Khandu called upon all stakeholders to work together in safeguarding indigenous rights, strengthening governance and ensuring the long-term development and stability of the state.
Today’s meeting was attended among others by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Home Minister Mama Natung, Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta, and DGP Dr S D Singh Jamwal.