The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), the premier student organisation in the state, organised a massive rally in the state capital, Itanagar, on Monday. They demanded immediate action against what they claimed was a demographic threat posed by illegal immigrants, particularly the Chakma and Hajong communities. Protesters carried placards that called for the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Several community-based organisations, district student unions, and concerned citizens joined the demonstration. The protest ended with the submission of a 12-point memorandum to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs through the state chief secretary.

AAPSU reiterated its longstanding demands. They asked for the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants and the re-verification of electoral rolls.

AAPSU president Dozi Tana Tara addressed the rally and warned of a looming cultural and legal crisis. He said, “The presence of illegal immigrants, especially Chakma and Hajong, is not just a population issue — it’s a direct threat to our constitutional rights, tribal land ownership, and cultural identity. The time for complacency is over. The government must act decisively.”

The students’ union alleged that only 56 Chakma-Hajong families were settled in Arunachal in the 1960s. They claimed that the population had since grown unchecked. They also alleged that many among them had accessed benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes, encroached on community land, and violated forest regulations.

AAPSU referred to a recent land dispute in Tissing-Singpho village. In that case, settlers had reportedly taken over a tribal woman’s property. The union said such alleged incidents highlighted the urgent need for government intervention.

Tara added, “If deportation isn’t feasible, relocation to other states must be considered.”

The memorandum flagged violations of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873. It raised concerns over law and order and the undocumented status of many settlers. It also called for a review of all beneficiary schemes that illegal immigrants might have accessed.

AAPSU described Monday’s rally as part of an “intensified democratic struggle.” The union urged all community-based organisations to stay vigilant.

Tara said, “This is not just our fight — it’s about safeguarding the future of Arunachal’s indigenous communities.”

The Chakmas and Hajongs originally lived in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of the former East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. They fled during the 1960s when their land was submerged by the Kaptai dam project.

They entered India through the then Lushai Hills district of Assam, now Mizoram. Some stayed back with Chakmas, already living in the area. The Indian government resettled the majority of the refugees in present-day Arunachal Pradesh. The Chakmas are Buddhists, while the Hajongs are Hindus.