ITANAGAR, Aug 25 - The Arunachal Pradesh Government has decided to bring a resolution in the ensuing State Assembly session for bringing the frontier State under the ambit of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The decision was taken by the State Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu here on Monday, government spokesperson and Home Minister Bamang Felix told reporters here today.
The Cabinet deliberated on the report of the consultative meeting on the �Constitutional Safeguard to the Indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh� held here on August 19, which was submitted by the committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein. He said after detailed deliberations, the Cabinet decided to move the resolution in the House session commencing from August 27.
Felix said the government resolution would be like this: �This Legislative Assembly resolves that the State of Arunachal Pradesh be included in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India to protect the tribal rights of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh.�
This is a historic step being initiated by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Felix said, adding that the proposed resolution would be discussed threadbare in the Assembly before moving the Centre to include Arunachal Pradesh under the Sixth Schedule.
�We have come to know from legal experts, including Additional Advocate General Kardak Ete and his team, that Arunachal Pradesh is not under the Sixth Schedule and even Article 371(H), which is provided to the State, does not ensure its protection. Though Arunachal is a hundred per cent tribal State and we have our own land, air and water, we do not have the ownership. In the consultative meeting, all the participating CBOs insisted that the State Government should move the Centre and request for bringing our state under the ambit of 6th Schedule,� the Home Minister said.
