Friday night’s mob violence in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar, triggered by the State government’s move to grant permanent resident certificates to six non-tribal communities, left one person dead in police firing and another grievously injured.
The government clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent large gatherings and suspended Internet services while the Army staged a flag-march on Saturday. These measures came after protesters went on the rampage, destroying private and government property and setting cars on fire.
Trouble over PRC
The violence coincided with the start of the first Itanagar International Film Festival that aims to pitch the frontier State as a film destination. A mob ran through the festival venue — Indira Gandhi Park in the heart of the city — destroyed five inflatable cinema halls and cars, among others.
This forced the organisers, a Goa-based firm, to call the festival off.
The mobs continued to vandalise property and burn vehicles until about 4.30 a.m. on Saturday, much after Chief Minister Pema Khandu tried to douse the flames by announcing that his government would not discuss the PRC issue during the current Assembly session “keeping in view the present situation”.
Officials in Itanagar said a mob — women and elderly among them — surrounded the Assembly building and threatened to burn it down. They damaged the vehicle of former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki at the gates as most of the other MLAs stayed the night in the Assembly for fear of being assaulted.
The police resorted to firing when another group tried to storm the Secretariat building in Itanagar. A man from Kimin in Papum Pare district died in the firing while another person, injured, was being treated at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences at Naharlagun nearby.
Security was particularly strengthened around the house of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein as the protesters threatened to bury the body of the man killed in police firing at his residence.
Mr. Mein, along with Mr. Khandu, had sought the granting of PRC to six of the State’s non-tribal communities — Adivasi, Deori, Gorkha, Moran, Mishing, and Sonowal Kachari — some of whom are Scheduled Tribes in Assam.
These six communities are dominant in Changlang and Namsai districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Mr. Mein represents the Lekang Assembly constituency in Namsai district.
Internet services shut
In an order on Friday night, the State’s Home Commissioner G.S. Meena said telecom service providers have been asked to suspend Internet services for the next 24 hours. “This is in view of the law and order situation to avoid rumour-mongering through the Internet,” he said.
The Chief Minister on Saturday appealed for calm, accusing “vested interests” of misleading the people over the PRC issue. “The government had never intended to bring a Bill on the PRC issue, which was blown out of proportion leading to misunderstanding among the people,” he said.
One of the worst affected by the mob violence was Nagaland-based singer, composer, and songwriter Alobo Naga, the frontman of popular rock band Alobo Naga and The Band (ANTB).
He had reached Itanagar to perform at the film festival.
“Trouble had started brewing when I arrived here. I thought the film festival venue would be a safer place to park my music van than the hotel. This (Saturday) morning, I found my van burnt along with my guitar, keyboard and other music instruments,” he told The Hindu from Itanagar.
