Itanagar: A massive peaceful protest rally was organised in the state capital on Saturday to press for the long-overdue delimitation exercise in all of Arunachal Pradesh.
Holding placards and banners, huge numbers of slogan-shouting people from different walks of life joined the rally and marched from Nyokum Lapang to IG Park Tennis Court in Itanagar, where they staged a dharna in support of their demand.
The protest rally was organized by the Arunachal Pradesh Delimitation Demand Committee (APDDC).
Chairman of the Committee Nabam Regum, highlighting the purpose of the rally, said, “Equal and proportionate representation is very necessary for equal socio-political development of a society. This is our constitutional right.”
“The Delimitation Act was amended in 2002 to provide for readjustment of the allocation of seats and rights given to us by the Constitution of the country, and we are being deprived by the state government, which is not maintaining the delimitation system,” he alleged.
Regum said that due to the non division of constituencies, many constituencies are facing problems in terms of developmental activities.
The APDDC chairman informed that the Committee would opt for a hunger strike if the state government failed to initiate the delimitation process.
Participating in the rally, general secretary of Tanw Supun Dukun (TSD), Taku Chatung said the Apatani community is the most affected community because of non-implementation of delimitation.
“We are demanding our constitutional rights to have the delimitation exercise, which is long overdue. No one can stop our demand for our rights,” he said.