The Arunachal Pradesh Congress has urged Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to take up four key issues concerning the state in Parliament. The party alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state have failed to address these concerns. The demands were made in a memorandum submitted by state Congress president Bosiram Siram to the party leadership during an All India Congress Committee (AICC) review meeting in New Delhi.
The state Congress sought an amendment to Article 371 (H) to bring it on par with Article 371 (A) applicable to Nagaland and Article 371 (G) applicable to Mizoram. The party argued that the existing provisions do not adequately protect the state’s land, customary laws, and natural resources. The state unit emphasized the need for stronger constitutional safeguards, on the lines of the Sixth Schedule, to strengthen tribal self-governance and protect indigenous communities.
The state Congress reiterated its opposition to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), citing concerns over large-scale ecological damage in the seismically sensitive region. The party claimed that the project could affect more than 2 lakh people and submerge ancestral land and heritage sites such as Kekar Monying. The memorandum also raised concerns over Chinese activities along the international border, accusing the BJP of ‘selective nationalism’ and demanding a white paper from the Centre on the border situation.
Furthermore, the state Congress demanded the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), criticizing the National Pension System (NPS) for leaving government employees financially insecure. Siram urged Gandhi to strongly raise these issues in Parliament, emphasizing that Arunachal should not be treated merely as a resource-rich region but as the homeland of indigenous communities.
