DIMAPUR, JAN 13 (MExN): The Janajati Youth Convention, in its ‘Guwahati declaration- 2006’ preamble, reviewed the violent situation of the region resulting in loss of human lives and properties, retarded developmental activities and undue burden on security expenditure, that would otherwise used for the betterment of the people in the region. The review was adopted by all 4,500 odd delegates, representing 120 Janajati communities and 60 indigenous faith and culture protection organizations of NE Bharat and Sikkim, and delegates form Nepal as observers, in an open session on the concluding day of the convention, December 28th 2006.
The review observed that there are many threats and challenges that are needed to be brought on surface, for all concerned to address and accept before the situation worsens.
In attempt to destroy indigenous faith and traditional culture by Semitic-alien organized forces, the convention declares that its their noblest and most valued asset and heritage; it has its own fundamental, human and natural right and as such, nobody has the right to derogate it, however primitive it may be. In this regard, it also states that religious conversions, denominations and defamatory terms like ‘pagans’ and ‘animists’ used for indigenous faith should be stopped forthwith.
The forum also declared that inter-faith matrimonial relations with its female members or to acquire legitimacy to illegal migration should not be permitted, as they find that these arrangements are for the sole objective of grabbing land, and that the distorted customary laws by alien forces should be done within the community as envisaged in its sixth schedule of the constitution. The convention is of the firm opinion that “these manipulated conflicts are not ethnically originated, as being propagated by the forces behind it.
Their ultimate aim is to create a state of confusion and distrust, and divide the society, so that they may become easy target for religious conversation” and as such urged the communities to be aware of the attempts being made for causing inter community clashes, and see that such forces do not succeed in their objective.
The convention also finds that the establishment of mega developmental projects, community rights over all natural resources and interface of Janajati people with government regarding forest are other areas of grave concern which the communities need proper understanding.
Furthermore, the convention forcefully asserts that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India (geographically, historically, culturally and politically) it had no connection with china and no external power, organisation or agency can be allowed to play with he sovereignty or territorial integrity of Bharat.
The convention hence feels, urges and calls upon the Janajati communities to be organized and aware of the prevailing causes in the society; the government, the district and regional councils, to enact /amend suitable laws; countrymen and other nationalist organisations not to remain indifferent to the developments/events taking place in the region ; the media to be more impartial in presenting events and also to the intelligentsia and historians to pay more attention, particularly to research and reproduce contributions of the Janajati communities.
Free, fair and factual version of deeds, works and achievements of the Janajati people, should also get due place in the textbooks at all levels of education resulting in pride of the Janajati community instead of a feeling of harassment and inferiority complex, the convention opined..
