Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Sep 4: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) on Friday demanded immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Chakma-Hajong inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, alleging an attack on one of its members during the ongoing exercise in Changlang district.
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Press Club here, AAPSU president Meje Taku alleged that an activist of the union, who had been deployed to monitor the SIR process, was attacked by members of the Chakma-Hajong community at the ADC office in Bordumsa on Friday.
Taku said AAPSU would take up the matter seriously but would first consult community-based organisations, district students’ unions and other stakeholders before deciding its next course of action.
He announced that an extensive meeting of stakeholders would be held in Itanagar on September 12 to discuss the alleged incident and formulate the union’s future course of action. He appealed to representatives of indigenous communities across the state to participate in the meeting.
AAPSU also demanded the suspension of officials whom it alleged were supporting the enrolment of Chakma and Hajong refugees and sought the arrest of those allegedly involved in the attack, including their alleged leaders.
Taku said AAPSU had assigned its members to monitor the enrolment process and identify what it described as bogus voters and refugees, besides assisting in monitoring the SIR exercise in the Bordumsa-Diyun area, when the alleged attack took place.
The union maintained that the SIR exercise should be conducted transparently and in accordance with the prescribed rules, while reiterating its demand for action against those allegedly involved in the incident.