Descrizione
AAPSU SLAMS MINISTER NYATO DUKAM OVER 80:20 REMARKS, SEEKS CLARIFICATION APOLOGY IN 12 HOURS
ITANAGAR, JULY 11: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has strongly condemned a recent statement by Minister Nyato Dukam, Chairman of the Committee constituted by the state government to examine the abolition of the 80:20 reservation ratio, calling his remarks immature and irresponsible, and asserting that the move falls squarely within the constitutional powers of the state government. AAPSU has demanded that Dukam clarify his statement and apologise to the union and the people of the state within 12 hours.
Speaking to the media, Dukam had cautioned that the state's 80:20 job reservation policy could face legal hurdles if challenged in court, amid growing demands from various organisations to scrap the provision reserving 20 percent of jobs for non-APST candidates. He warned that a legal challenge could result in the existing reservation itself being scrapped altogether, and questioned who would then be held responsible for the fallout.
Reacting sharply, AAPSU said the statement was deeply immature and unbecoming of a Minister who himself chairs the Committee tasked with examining the issue, and appeared designed to create fear and confusion among the people of the state on a matter of fundamental importance to its indigenous population, rather than offering the legal clarity and seriousness the process demands. The union said that as Chairman of the Committee, Dukam was expected to maintain neutrality, uphold the integrity of the process, and allow consultations with all stakeholders before expressing any opinion in public.
AAPSU said the remarks had demoralised many who support a review of the existing policy, and had been perceived as undermining the concerns and intellect of AAPSU, a body it described as a respected institution that has consistently stood up for the rights and interests of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh. The union also noted that Dukam's press statement had coincided with AAPSU's own press statement on the same day, an overlap it said gave the impression of a hostile attitude towards the issue and raised concerns over the impartiality expected of the Committee's Chairman.
The union categorically rejected the Minister's apprehension, asserting that reservation policy for state government recruitment is a state subject, exercised under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India, which empower states to make special provisions for Scheduled Tribes. AAPSU said there is nothing in law preventing the state government from revising the ratio to reflect the reality of a state where the population is almost entirely indigenous tribal, and that instead of creating apprehension and confusion among the public, the Chairman ought to provide legal clarity, confidence, and leadership on an issue of such significance.
AAPSU President Meje Taku, reacting to the development, said it was unfortunate to hear such a statement from a sitting Minister who also chairs the Committee examining the issue. "Instead of offering clarity, leadership, and legal confidence to the process, the Minister has chosen to spread apprehension. Our neighbouring states have exercised near-identical reservation policies for decades, and no court has struck them down. If they can do it, so can we. The abolition of the 80:20 ratio is a matter squarely within the powers of the state government, and no one should be allowed to create doubt about that for political convenience," Taku said, adding that the Minister appeared unable to feel the gravity of the issue and the pulse of the people.
He further said the union expected the Chairman of the Committee to conduct himself with the seriousness and legal rigour the issue demands, rather than make public statements that undermine the very process he has been entrusted to lead, adding that AAPSU would not allow fear-mongering to derail what it called a legitimate and constitutionally sound demand of the state's indigenous people.
Taku added that in the interest of fair and meaningful dialogue, Dukam should clarify his statement and apologise to AAPSU and the people of the state within 12 hours over remarks that had caused hurt, misunderstanding, and demoralisation among stakeholders. "The aspirations and concerns of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh deserve respectful consideration, free from fear, confusion, or political posturing," he said.
AAPSU has further called upon the state government to ensure the Committee proceeds with due diligence and full seriousness, and reiterated that abolition of the 80:20 ratio remains the union's topmost and non-negotiable priority.