Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 23
Alobo Naga and the Band (ANTB) became unfortunate victim to the ongoing agitation against the Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.
The band car and all music equipments were part of several cars and houses that were set ablaze by the protesters on day two of the 48-hour Itanagar shutdown on February 22 evening. They were seeking changes in the proposals made by the government-appointed panel for granting PRC to non-Arunachalees.
According to PTI news agency, protesters had set ablaze 50 vehicles and damaged over 100 vehicles on Friday evening and also burnt the offices of All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) and All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU).
They also resorted to stone pelting in which 35 people, including 24 police personnel, were injured, it said quoting the police. Internet connection and social media sites were also blocked.
The ANTB was in Itanagar to perform at the three-day Itanagar International Film Festival (IIFF) scheduled from February 22-24.
“We were on our way to IG stadium for sound-check in the evening around 4:00 pm,” Alobo Naga, lead singer of ANTB informed The Morung Express over phone.
However, owning to road block and clash between the police and protestors not far from the venue, the band had to leave the car to take refuge in a house.
“It took 2-3 hours until we could get back to our hotel,” he said.
Early around 1:30 am in the morning, the vehicles parked inside the venue (IG Park) were set ablaze and the venue was also brought down to ashes.
Although, the band members, four of them and the driver escaped unharmed, “we lost all our equipments worth around Rs. 6 lakhs and the vehicle belonging to a close friend,” Alobo informed.
Meanwhile, on their Facebook page, the band posted on Saturday evening that they “managed to get out of Arunachal Pradesh by taking the train to Harmoti, Assam. It's a long drive from here to Dimapur…”
