NO PLANS TO SCRAP ART 371, AMIT SHAH SAYS IN ARUNACHAL
GUWAHATI: Union home minister Amit Shah reaffirmed on Thursday that the Centre will not scrap Article 371 of the Constitution, which contains special provisions for most states in the Northeast to preserve their tribal culture and seeks to protect the rights of local people in employment and education.
“Following revocation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir in August last year, some people spread rumours that Article 371 would also be scrapped. I want to assure the entire North-east on the statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram that no one can remove Article 371 and there’s no such thought on it,” Shah said.
On August 5, the Centre moved to divest J&K of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and open up privileges such as landownership and government jobs, which had been the exclusive preserve of Kashmiris, to outsiders. It also decided to bifurcate the state into two Union territories.
Shah spoke at a public meeting
at Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar that was also attended by Arunachal Pradesh governor BD Mishra, chief minister Pema Khandu and deputy CM Chowna Mein. Union minister for development of the North-east region Jitendra Singh, Union minister for sports Kiren Rijiju and convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present.
“In the past six years, development in Arunachal Pradesh has taken a fast pace due to collaborative efforts of the government at the Centre led by Narendra Modi and the state government headed by Pema Khandu,” Shah said.
Shah launched the state’s new industrial policy, inaugurated the Joram-koloriang road constructed by the Border Roads Organisation, laid foundation stones for a new police headquarters, housing complex for senior officers and a new truck terminal.
The Union home minister listed the development projects initiated by the Centre in the North-east, specifically in Arunachal Pradesh, in the past five years.
“Our government has sanctioned road construction projects worth more than ~50,000 crore only in Arunachal Pradesh. An IIT [Indian Institute of Technology] campus in the state worth ~430 crores has also been sanctioned,” said Shah.
Although it was his first visit to the state after anti-citizenship (Amendment) Act protests started in Assam and other states of the region in December last year, he didn’t comment on the law that seeks to fast-track grant of Indian citizenship for nonmuslim minorities from the Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The amended law has sparked concerns about a possible influx of outsiders that could put pressure on the limited resources of the region and livelihood opportunities available for locals
CM Khandu thanked Shah for approving the Hollongi airport (foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year) and for keeping the state outside the purview of the CAA.
“Despite completing 33 years of statehood, Arunachal Pradesh doesn’t have a separate IAS/IPS {Indian Administrative Service/ Indian Police Service} cadre. We need a dedicated team of bureaucrats as ours is a state full of challenges as well as potential,” Khandu said.
Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state of India on February 20, 1987. Till 1972, it was known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). In 1972, it became a Union territory and was named Arunachal Pradesh. Mizoram, another northeastern state, also gained statehood on the same day 34 years ago.