Tension in Arunachal over inclusion of ‘non-indigenous’ groups in SIR
Violence erupted in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district following protests against the inclusion of Chakma and Hajong community members in the electoral roll revision process. Local student groups are demanding a suspension of the process, citing concerns over the status of non-indigenous residents.
Why it matters
The incident reflects deep-seated ethnic and political tensions regarding citizenship, migration, and electoral representation in sensitive border regions.
The alleged inclusion of members of the Chakma and Hajong communities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls sparked violence in the Bordumsa region of Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district on Friday (September 4, 2026). The predominantly Buddhist Chakmas and the Hindu Hajongs, displaced from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan, were settled by the Centre in Arunachal Pradesh in the 1960s.
According to ground reports, at least one person was injured in the violence, which involved firing and stone-pelting. The injured person was reportedly a member of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), which has been opposing the inclusion of non-indigenous communities in the State’s electoral rolls.
Officials said the situation remained tense throughout the day, prompting the authorities to heighten security to maintain law and order.
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