Arunachal: Human rights body threatens to summon DC over non-submission of report on harassment of Chakmas

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday directed the Deputy Commissioner of Changlang district to submit its action taken report (ATR) on  the complaint filed by the Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) against alleged harassment and false prosecution of Chakma human rights activists of Dharmapur village by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Miao Circle by August 8.

Else, the NHRC said, it ”shall be constrained to invoke its coercive power under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 calling for personal appearance.”

The NHRC took cognizance of the CDFI’s complaint on March 4 and called for the ATR within four weeks from Sunny K. Singh, the DC of Changlang. However, he did not do so.

On March 6 last, the NHRC once again directed the DC to submit the ATR but the DC had failed to submit the ATR till date. 

The CDFI in its complaint dated February 11 has alleged false prosecution of the Chakma leaders Kantimoni Chakma, Shanti Mohan Chakma, Sukra Chakma, Sunil Chakma, Sumar Jiban Chakma and Himanta Chakma of Dharmapur village in Changlang district by the ADC who initiated proceedings under Section 188 CrPC for violations of Section 144 CrPC and removing the pillars erected between Dharmapur and Neoton village on February 8 last by deploying a huge contingent of security forces. 

Terming it as a “classic case of false prosecution”, the CDFI said that the ADC in an interview with The Diyun Times in February said that he had not visited to erect any pillar. 

On 10 February 2022, a complaint was lodged against alleged the removal of pillars purportedly “by a mob led by Kantamoni Chakma, Shantimoi Chakma, Sukra Chakma, Sunil Chakma, Sumar Jeevan Chakma and Himanta Chakma. 

“If no pillar was erected in the first place, the question of removal of any pillar does not arise. Further, there is no specific averment in the complaint that the pillars were removed after the imposition of the Section 144 CrPC on 09.02.2022. Without conducting any inquiry, the ADC issued the proceedings under Section 188 CrPC which amounts to putting the cart before the horse, that too against a non-existent person and persons who were not present in the village itself,” the CDFI said in a statement today.