No plan to grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees: Rijiju

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Oct 5 (IANS) The central government has no plans to grant Indian citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said here on Thursday.

While addressing the 5th BJP State Executive Meeting that got underway in the local Kalawangpo Hall on Thursday, the minister said the central government had never announced it would give citizenship to the Chakma-Hajong refugees and that it was talked about only by the media.

In a recent meeting with the Union Home Ministry, the state leadership had vehemently opposed giving any concession to the Chakma-Hajong refugees.

The state government had announced that it would never compromise with the constitutional rights and protection given to the indigenous people of Arunachal.

Referring to the issue of rehabilitation of Tibetans, Rijiju said many in Arunachal were opposing the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014 without proper understanding of the issue.

Several civil society groups, including the opposition People's Party of Arunachal and Congress, have opposed the state cabinet's August 12 decision reportedly to the effect the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014 would be adopted and extended in the state.

Noting that the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy was yet to be implemented in Arunachal, the minister said: "Tibetans are not seeking citizenship and the government of India has brought out policy only to extend certain welfare measures in their settlement areas."

"Arunachal is yet to bring out its own policy (regarding Tibetans' rehabilitation), which will be implemented only after consultation from all community bodies and student unions of the state," Rijiju said.