Itanagar, May 27 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh 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 tribal-related matters.

Addressing a high-level consultative meeting at the state Banquet hall in Niti Vihar, 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 lasted for nearly seven-and-a-half hours, was attended by representatives of the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), ST Bachao Andolan Committee (STBAC), political parties and officials from the Home, Law and Political Departments, along with the Directorate of Indigenous Affairs and other concerned departments. Khandu expressed gratitude to the Scheduled Tribe Bachao Andolan Committee for drawing the government’s attention to what he termed a “long-burning issue” that has remained unresolved for years despite repeated discussions.

The Chief Minister said the concerns raised were 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 on August 15, 2025, Khandu 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 constituted a national-level High-Level Committee on Demographic Change comprising a retired judge, retired IAS and IPS officers and senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Chief Minister stated that the state government has, in principle, accepted the four major demands placed during the meeting, including the long-pending demand for creation of a separate department to manage and regulate the ILP system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR).

Announcing the government’s in-principle approval for a dedicated ILP Department, Khandu said the proposal had long been advocated by both AAPSU and STBAC. He also acknowledged concerns regarding demographic changes and their impact on indigenous tribal culture, traditions and identity, asserting that preservation of Arunachal Pradesh’s unique heritage remains a collective responsibility.

Emphasising the need for sustainable solutions, the Chief Minister strongly advocated skilling and capacity-building of local youths to reduce dependence on outside labour.

Citing Mizoram as an example, he stressed the importance of dignity of labour and vocational skill development. Sharing a recent success story, Khandu said a group of tribal youths trained in plumbing and electrical works in Bengaluru later completed a project in Pasighat for Rs 10 lakh, compared to the Rs 18 lakh quoted by outside contractors, resulting in substantial savings while generating local employment.

The Chief Minister urged apex community-based organisations to actively support skill development initiatives and encourage tribal youths to participate in vocational training programmes. As a key outcome of the meeting, Khandu announced the formation of a high-level committee to further deliberate on the issues discussed and recommend an appropriate roadmap.

He said a follow-up meeting would be held on May 29 for formal constitution of the committee, inviting seven members each from AITF, AAPSU and STBAC, along with representatives from the legal fraternity.

The Chief Minister assured that the committee would be officially notified after finalisation of members and reiterated that all recommendations would be discussed transparently and collectively before any final policy decisions are taken.

Reaffirming the spirit of “Team Arunachal”, Khandu called upon all stakeholders to work together to safeguard indigenous rights, strengthen governance and ensure the long-term peace, development and stability of the state.

–IANS

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