12-hour bandh against ‘illegal immigrants’ brings Arunachal’s capital to a halt
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed at multiple points across Itanagar, Naharlagun and Nirjuli as a precautionary measure
A 12-hour bandh called by three youth organisations in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar began on Tuesday morning, bringing the capital to a complete halt. Markets remained closed, public transport stayed off the roads and major junctions wore a deserted look. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed at multiple points across Itanagar, Naharlagun and Nirjuli as a precautionary measure. No incident of violence was reported till the filing of this report.
The bandh was called jointly by the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation (APIYO), Indigenous Youth Force of Arunachal (IYFA) and the All Naharlagun Youth Organisation (ANYO), despite the district administration declaring the shutdown “illegal and unlawful”.
In a video statement released on social media ahead of the protest on Monday evening, APIYO president Taro Sonam Liyak appealed for state-wide support, calling the bandh “historical”. He said the agitation was not aimed at any particular community but was directed against what the organisations allege is the presence of “illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Rohingya Muslims, illegal mosques and panjra-namas (makeshift prayer structures)” within the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR).
“Our movement is for the future of our state,” Sonam said, blaming the state government’s “failure to acknowledge our demands” for the escalation. He warned that the shutdown could be extended if the demands were not met. “It may go from 12 hours to 24, then 36. We will fight till the government fulfills our demands,” he said.
The organisations have exempted ambulances, magistrates on duty, police personnel, and students appearing for examinations with valid ID cards, along with essential emergency services.
The ICR district administration, however, reiterated that the bandh violates a 1997 Supreme Court ruling declaring bandhs unconstitutional. In an order issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), district magistrate Toko Babu said such shutdowns cause “untold misery and hardship” to daily wage earners and patients, and may trigger law-and-order issues, besides damaging public and private property.
The order also referred to provisions of the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014, which bars coercive shutdowns. It further noted that the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force for local body elections in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and adjoining panchayat areas, and any disruption could affect the electoral process. The district police have been instructed to enforce the order.
The youth organisations have been campaigning against alleged illegal immigration and what they claim is a rise in unauthorised religious structures in the Capital Complex. Their core demands include demolition of an alleged illegal Jama Masjid structure at Nigam Colony in Naharlagun, a ban on weekly haats in the ICR, and deportation of alleged “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” from Arunachal Pradesh.
The bodies had earlier postponed a bandh set for November 25, following an invitation from the state home minister for a meeting on December 5, but later announced the December 9 shutdown, calling it a struggle in the “interest of Arunachal’s future”.
A 12-hour bandh organized by three youth groups in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, halted the city on Tuesday, with markets closed and public transport suspended. The protest targets alleged illegal immigration and unauthorized religious structures. Despite being deemed unlawful by authorities, the organizers vowed to extend the shutdown if demands are unmet, citing concerns for the state's future.