India plans to grant citizenship to the Chakmas

Team Udayavani, Sep 13, 2017, 12:52 PM IST

Arunachal: The Indian Government plans to grant citizenship to the Chakma refugees.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh led a large meeting to decide whether to grant citizenship to tens of thousands of Chakma refugees who are Buddhists based mainly in Arunachal Pradesh.

A senior Home Ministry official said they would be granted citizenship but will not have any land ownership rights in Arunachal Pradesh, a predominantly tribal State. The Arunachalis have opposed giving any rights to Chakma-Hajongs.

“They would be free to buy land anywhere else in India but not in Arunachal Pradesh. They could continue to live in the transit camps where they have been housed since 1964-65,” said the official.