6th Aug 2020 01:08:AM State
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

ITANAGAR, Aug 5: The Galo Welfare Society (GWS) while rejecting the ongoing demand for creation of Mon Autonomous Council (MAC) and Patkai Autonomous Council (PAC) has opined that the state government instead of ceding to it should first debate and discuss abrogation of Article 371 (H) in the Assembly as it does not safeguard the traditional rights and customary practices of the tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, GWS said that the unfavourable laws which are not serving the interest of the state’s people should be scrapped and replaced with better laws and negotiations with the Centre should be initiated in this regard. Referring to the demand for creation of MAC and PAC, it opined that the selective approach of leveraging some regions without proper justification would lead to misunderstanding among the communities and once accepted it will kick-start similar demands which will lead to heightened communal frenzy and vitiate the peaceful co-existential ecosystem in the state, making it a “troubled periphery” in the country. GWS has also expressed apprehension regarding the possibility of bullying of smaller groups by the larger groups in the proposed autonomous councils, leading to their deprivations which will thereby defeat the very idea of equitable growth and development. “GWS believes in the idea of Team Arunachal and having a balanced development of the state through a policy of inclusiveness,” the release said.

Debating the rationality behind the clamour for creation of autonomous councils in Mon and TCL regions when the Department of Karmik Adhyatmik Affairs (DoKAA) and the Department of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (DoTCL) already exist, GWS said that such “preferential policy for some particular regions” has not been objected so far by any other group(s) in the state despite having underdevelopment in their respective regions. In this regard it has also highlighted that the Galos living in the central districts continue remaining one of the most deprived communities in the state and only for being centrally located, the region is devoid of funding either under BADP or MSDP. “GWS demands that if at all the autonomous councils are to be created, it should be considered with a holistic approach preceded by proper parleys with all the tribes of the state,” the release mentioned.
Reiterating that the proposal for bringing Arunachal Pradesh under the 6th Schedule should be taken up first viewing the state as a composite whole, the GWS said it would support such an inclusive policy and resist any effort that would give way to selective and preferential treatment to any region through democratic movements. GWS PR 


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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