Indefinite Bandh Hits Arunachal’s Lekang Over New Government Recruitment Rules
· Free Press Journal
Normal life was disrupted in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lekang circle on Friday as community-based organisations, students’ unions and NGOs began an indefinite bandh against the state cabinet’s decision to introduce uniform eligibility criteria for government recruitment.
The shutdown began at 5 am, with protesters blocking roads at key entry points, including Banka Bridge, Bordumsa Gate and Dirak Gate. The agitation reflects growing concern among non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) residents that the new recruitment rules could shut them out of government jobs despite their longstanding domicile status.
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What The New Rules Say
Under the new framework, applicants must have permanent residence, APST or indigenous status and proficiency in at least one indigenous tribal language. The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) have been directed to incorporate these requirements into upcoming direct recruitment for Group A, B and C posts.
Protest leaders argue that the policy threatens the livelihood of genuine non-APST residents who possess valid domicile and resident certificates. Their concern highlights a difficult question for the government: how to frame uniform recruitment rules without excluding longstanding residents who say they have legitimate claims to state employment.
Protesters Raise Legal Concerns
Horojit Morang, a representative of the protesting organisations, called the cabinet’s decision “unconstitutional” and cautioned that opening the state’s existing reservation framework to legal scrutiny could have adverse consequences.
Citing the Supreme Court’s landmark 1992 ruling in the Indra Sawhney v. Union of India case, Morang warned that judicial intervention could jeopardise the state’s existing reservation quotas.
“If tomorrow somebody files a PIL and the reservation is struck down or reduced to 50:50, the unions and organisations which demanded such changes will have to take responsibility,” he said. Morang added that the administration and the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) were aware of the potential legal ramifications.
80:20 Reservation At The Centre Of Row
Under the state’s existing 80:20 reservation arrangement, 80% of vacancies are earmarked for APST candidates and 20% for non-APST aspirants, TNIE reports.
Bandh enforcers fear that scrapping the arrangement would make domicile-holding candidates from Lekang circle ineligible for state jobs. Many of these residents, they said, are indigenous inhabitants who possess historical land survey records dating back to 1968.
The dispute, therefore, goes beyond recruitment criteria. For the protesters, it is also about whether historical residence and domicile should continue to provide employment protection to people who have lived in Lekang for decades.
Memorandum Sent To Chief Minister
Before launching the indefinite strike, the protesting organisations submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Aug 12.
They urged the state government and the Joint High-Powered Committee to review historical records and domicile status before finalising the policy and ensure that genuine domicile or resident certificate holders from Lekang are not excluded from public employment opportunities.
Seven Workers Killed As Water, Debris Flood Uttarakhand Hydro Project Tunnel“We will not take the matter to court for now. Our demand is that reservation and employment protection must be ensured for the people of Lekang. If this is not done, we will take democratic steps,” Morang said.
Security Tightened, Talks Planned
Lekang Assistant Commissioner Tojum Ete said the shutdown, which began at 5 am, was continuing, but no untoward incidents had been reported.
“Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed and are patrolling the area to thwart any untoward incident,” Ete said.
Amid the continuing agitation, Lekang MLA Likha Soni and Namsai Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering are scheduled to hold discussions with leaders of the protesting organisations in the evening in an effort to defuse tensions over the new recruitment eligibility criteria.
The talks could prove important in determining whether the indefinite shutdown continues, with protesters making it clear that protection of reservation and employment opportunities for Lekang residents remains their central demand.