The Chakma and Hajong communities have expressed disappointment over the government’s bid to relocate them from Arunachal Pradesh, where the two communities have been settled for almost six decades.

On August 15, 2021, Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced in his speech that “all illegal immigrant Chakmas will be moved and settled out of Arunachal Pradesh with honour”.

Following this, the All Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Gaonburah Association and the Chakma Rights and Development Organisation (CRDO), in separate statements, stated that they will oppose any move to shift them outside the state and claimed that 90 per cent of the two communities are Indian citizens “by birth”.

Chakmas and Hajongs, who are Buddhists and Hindus, respectively, reportedly migrated to India between 1964 and 1966 from Chittagong Hills Tract of then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). While the Chakmas were displaced by the Kaptai hyropower project, the Hajongs wanted to escape religious persecution.

CRDO President Mahendra Chakma argues that the two communities did not come to India on their own. “They were brought by the Government of India under a Centrally sponsored ‘definite plan of rehabilitation’”.

The two communities are mainly settled in Changlang, Namsai and Papum Pare districts. The withdrawal of basic amenities like employment opportunities, electoral rights, termination of trade licence and confiscation of ration cards have made it difficult for the settlers to survive.

In August 2021, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) and the state unit of the Nationalist People Party (NPP) stated explicitly to the media that the ‘people of the state would never accept the Chakma and Hajong refugees’. Expressing concern over the growing population of the refugees, NPP President Mutchu Mithi told reporters: “Their population at present is between one and 1.5 lakh, which is much higher than some of the indigenous tribes of the state, and this is a serious issue. Granting them citizenship will create a drastic demographic as well as political change in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Following these developments, the CRDO said that the Chakmas now face an ‘uncertain and fragile future’ and that the government’s decision has shaken their ‘fundamental belief’ in the democratic legal system.  

In 2015, the Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh had filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging persecution of Chakmas and Hajongs settled in the state. The committee stated in its petition that the two groups are tormented by poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and political identity crisis. The NHRC asked the state government and the home ministry to submit a report on the matter. In response, the state government assured that there was no threat to the lives and properties of the two communities in question and that an adequate police force was deployed to protect them. The home ministry, on its part, asked the state government to ensure normalcy in law and order as well as to supply essential commodities and medical facilities to the Chakma and Hajong refugees.

In September 2017, protests in the state against proposed citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajongs turned violent. During a statewide _bandh _called by the AAPSU, protesters damaged several vehicles, torching a state transport bus and a private vehicle.

Meanwhile, the All Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Gaonburha Association issued a press release stating, “More than 90 per cent of these people were born here and are citizens by birth. They will live and die here with dignity and honour and cannot suffer through another mass migration to start life afresh outside Arunachal Pradesh.”

Kanki Darang, joint secretary to the chief minister, told LCW in November 2021 that the government has constituted a high-powered committee to look into the issue and is expected to submit a report. 

In April 2024, a controversy in Assam emerged over Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's statement regarding the relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam, based on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. While Rijiju claimed discussions with high-level officials, Assam's Chief Minister denied any such plans, sparking opposition from various political parties and organisations. The situation intensified concerns about the impact on Assam, with local leaders accusing the government of neglecting the state's interests and transparency issues regarding the Act's implementation. Contradictions by Assam's Chief Minister, led to political unrest and opposition from local groups.

Assam Jatiya Parishad leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi cited Rijiju's statement and warned of the CAA's harmful effects on indigenous rights, blaming both state and central governments. Meanwhile, Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of conspiring against the state.

A month later, concerns were raised by the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) in Karbi Anglong district over reports of the potential relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam. ASDC leaders expressed worries about the socio-political implications of such a move on Assam's indigenous communities and demanded transparency and consultation before any decisions are made. The committee fears that the relocation could exacerbate ethnic tensions and undermine local rights. The ASDC cited potential demographic shifts in Karbi Anglong district of Assam if the Chakma-Hajong refugees in Arunachal Pradesh are relocated to Assam, as proposed.

Jotson Bey, general secretary of the ASDC told media, “We firmly believe that the Sixth Schedule district of Karbi Anglong, reserved for scheduled tribes, should not accommodate new settlers from outside, and existing illegal settlers should be removed.” Bey expressed concerns over potential ramifications if five lakh Chakma-Hajong refugees were sheltered in Assam.