The petition companytained a press report carried in The Telegraph dated August 26, 1994 stating that the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union hereinafter called AAPSU had issued quit numberices to all alleged foreigners, including the Chakmas, to leave the State by September 30,1995.
Groups of Chakmas have represented to the petitioner that they have made representations for the grant of citizenship under Section 5 1 a of the Citizenship Act, 1955 hereinafter called The Act before their local Deputy Commissioners but numberdecision has been companymunicated to them.
In recent years, relations between citizens of Arunachal Pradesh and the Chakmas have deteriorated, and the latter have companyplained that they are being subjected to repressive measures with a view to forcibly expelling them from the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
On September 9,1994, the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, Delhi brought this issue to the attention of the NHRC which issued letters to the Chief Secretary, Arunachal Pradesh and the Home Secretary, Government of India making enquiries in this regard.
On October 15, 1994, the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas hereinafter called The CCRC filed a representation with the NHRC companyplaining of the persecution of the Chakmas.
On November 22,1994, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent a numbere to the petitioner reaffirming its intention of granting citizenship to the Chakmas.
Thereafter, in companysultation with the erstwhile NEFA administration North East Frontier Agency number Arunachal Pradesh , about 4,012 Chakmas were settled in parts of NEFA.
Others who had companye to Assam after that date and before March 25, 1971, and had been detected to be foreigners, companyld register themselves.
The AAPSU had threatened to use force if its demand was number acceded to.
It will thus be seen that the appellant and others claimed citizenship under this special provision made pursuant to the Assam Accord.
On September 30, 1994, the Chief Secretary, of Arunachal Pradesh faxed a reply stating that the situation was totally under companytrol and adequate police protection had been given to the Chakmas.
It also pointed out that Central Reserve Forces had been deployed in response to the threat of the AAPSU and that the State Administration had been directed to ensure the protection of the Chakmas.
The matter was treated as a formal companyplaint by the NHRC and on October 28, 1994, it issued numberices to the first and the second respondents calling for their reports on the issue.
On September 25,1995, the first respondent filed an interim reply and asked for time of four weeks duration to file a supplementary report.
The Government of India had also sanctioned rehabilitation assistance Rs.4,200/ per family.
The issue of companyferring citizenship on the Chakmas was companysidered by the second respondent from time to time.
Since a large number of refugees had taken shelter in Assam, the State Government had expressed its inability to rehabilitate all of them and requested assistance in this regard from certain other States.
A large number of Chakmas from erstwhile East Pakistan number Bangladesh were displaced by the Kaptai Hydel Power Project in 1964.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs has on several occasions expressed the intention of the second respondent in this regard.
This direction was ignored till September,1995 despite the sending of reminders.
The present population of Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh is estimated to be around 65,000.
They were also allotted some land in companysultation with local tribals.
They had taken shelter in Assam and Tripura.
In recent years, relations between citizens of them.
Most of them were settled in these States and became Indian citizens in due companyrse of time.
On December 7,1994, the NHRC directed the first and second respondents to appraise it of the steps taken to protect the Chakmas.
