ANNOUNCMENT AND CANCELLATION
On 24 June 2010, the state government decided to issue Permanent Residential Certificate (PRC) to non-APST. This was press released three months later on 7 Sep. Few criteria were made:
- Seven groups living in Lohit and Changlang (Yobin was among them).
- Should be living prior to 1968.
This announcement invited strong reactions from all walks of life. Notable among them were: AAPSU, Tangsa Cultural and Literary Society (TCLS), All East Siang District Student’s Union and a host of other organizations. See other organizations that protested. The readers’ forum of Arunachal Times in the month of September was filled with PRC topics.
Finally the decision to grant PRC was revoked on 29 Sep.
REACTIONS
As a reaction to the dismissal of the PRC order, two organizations namely All Lekang Youth Student Union and Lohit and Changlang Development Forum (LCDF) raised question. A rally was organized at Mahadevpur. The LCDF then demanded the CM for re-notification of PRC. One of the highlights initiated by LCDF was a clash at Namsai on 23 October. There was violence, shops were destroyed. Army had to intervene.
In between I heard rumors that this case is being taken up at the Guwahati High Court.
But we should remember the Yobin never participated this rally. PRC was not our demand.
OUR RESPONSES
Though there was no “official” response from our community leaders, a few of us mentioned our stand.
- Every one need to be clear by Liahey (Readers’ Forum AP Times, 27 Sep) stated we demand for ST not PRC.
- Yobins be return their rights by Philip and Phuyosa (Readers’ Forum AP times, 2 Oct). They questioned the rational for clubbing Yobin issue with other communities of Arunachal Pradesh.
- In response to Taba Ajum’s article by Barak (Readers’ Forum AP Times, 30 Sep). He challenged why PRC should benefit Yobin.
MY OPINION AND QUESTIONS
- The decision to include Yobin under PRC package along with other communities gave an impression that we are not actually demanding for ST, which is totally wrong.
- For some of the common men among Yobin men, they tended to equate PRC with ST. Hence gave a false hope that ST is being granted.
- I wonder why our MLA included us in this PRC drama. We asked for bread but stone was attempted to give instead.
- Finally, why were our community leaders completely silent when all these were happening? I see no delegations, no challenge. Just silence.
I thank Phususa and Atibosa for their feedback as I wrote this article. – Liahey
Lisu - Yobin Dreams 
The PRC Drama is really a worst drama that can happen with a society like us. I think this was done with no other reasons but to politicize and marginalize our people. Is this how the equal rights of all Indian citizens are to be exercised with minority people?
I felt the same. Our MLAs and Ministers wanted to mess up our society further.