AITF, a ray of hope for peace and harmony

[This article was published in The Sentinel Arunachal on April 11, 2011] Last Saturday Anna Hazare’s victory march was matched by another thumping foot march, by the people and for the people of Arunachal on the run-down roads of capital city, Itanagar. Perhaps for the first time, under the banner of Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) - the apex forum of 26 major tribes and 100 sub-tribes, a successful rally was organized. Though there were countless similarities and dissimilarities between the two victories. At New Delhi, they were striving for higher order goals for larger society and here at Itanagar, it was an appeal for basic requirements of life: safety and security. That too, the people were demanding protection against policemen. We know life could not have been more ironical and paradoxical but that’s the reality today. Arunachalees have learnt to live with such ironies and now they have started raising their voice against such paradox. “This is just the beginning,” said visibly excited Publicity Secretary of AITF, PG Tago.   Known social activists, Bengia Tolum and Jarjum Ete-led team of AITF had every reason to be delighted and content with massive response and solidarity to their clarion call for expressing ‘Voice in Unison for Justice’. It was not just those one thousand plus participants that made it a success; it was the fact that ninety-nine per cent were volunteers who had showed up on their own to shoo-away the evil forces in the society. It was the ‘youth-force’ who dominated the show as volunteers. “Much water has flown down and we should not take it anymore,” said an unknown young face in the crowd. “Besides expressing my gratitude to everyone, my special thanks go to the young boys and girls who expressed themselves through this silent protest march,” said Bengia Tolum, who is currently heading AITF as chairperson. It was supported by apex organizations like AAPSU, APWWS, APUWJ and APC etc in solidarity against repeated failure of state’s administrative machineries especially the police force. I erred here. It was not against the failure; rather against the perpetrators of ‘atrocities and human-rights violations’ in the form of ill-trained police personnel of the state. Passion, intensity and magnitude during foot-march for ‘Voice in Unison for Justice’ was an expression of pent-up feelings and emotions of helpless souls against the might of powerful ministries especially the Home Ministry. Haven’t people haplessly watched the video in YouTube hundreds of time as Home Minister nonchalantly went on record not only to condone the drinking binge of farouche cops but encourage the act of drinking while on duty in the name of ‘age old tribal tradition and culture’? Is Arunachal Pradesh’s home department a conventicle? Here I reckon how true it was when one of the agitated senior politicians from Tirap-Changlang confided in me, last month before the Assembly session, that ‘grey hair is not necessarily a sign of wisdom’. Need I say more; nay, not today. Today is for AITF and its core team members for conceiving the concept itself. Although it goes without saying, yet for record it is worth noting that AITF had been formed on September 2003 last with various community based organizations (CBOs) under its umbrella to promote peace and harmony amongst all the tribes, protect their basic rights, and collectively work for welfare of all the tribes and, for their progress and prosperity. The basic objective of the society is to provide a common platform for healthy growth and preservation of Arunachal indigenous tribe’s interest and in particular: (1) to promote unity, integrity, cooperation and brotherhood among all indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, (2) to preserve, encourage and promote pan Arunachalee culture and identity, and to be accountable only to the indigenous tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh, (3) to deal with conflict situations/issues of all kinds and all levels and to deliberate and settle them in the collective pursuit, (4) to take up such other activities so as to create and promote social harmony and peaceful atmosphere and to prevent any such activities by any group or community that may be detrimental to the existence of healthy general welfare of the people of Arunachal Pradesh and, (5) to work for general welfare and development and to represent the Arunachalee people affected by inter-state boundary and other such related problems. Indeed true to its objective, AITF has started doing yeoman service to the people here and would indeed help restore peace and harmony in the state.  Some people are blessed with grey hair and grey matter, not all.