For a decade or so, from 1964 to 1979, for 15 years the Chakmas enjoyed at par rights just like any other local tribe. However, once Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory and a subsequently a State, their rights were withdrawn systematically one by one by the state government plunging them into a state of complete helplessness – no citizenship rights, no refugee allowances.

The “at par rights” enjoyed by the Chakmas/Hajongs are as under:

a)  Free school books and uniform.

b)   Fooding and lodging in ST hotels, Miao

c)   Ration card and rations at subsidized prices

d)  Trade Licences

e)  Gun licenses

f)  Red coats and red caps to village headmen ( Gaon burahs)

g)  Voting rights

h)  Government jobs in defence establishments ( SSB, Assam rifles )

i)  Arms training to general public by SSB personel

i)  Birth certificates

i)  Medical facilities at subsidized rate

j) loan and agricultural subsidies

k)  and many more …

During rehabilitation in AP, each Chakma family was allotted 5 acres of land along with one time grant of around Rs 4200 to raise their respective hearth and home to start life afresh. The land allotted were dense forest which took days to months in clearing the jungles and converting it to cultivable lands. Upon rehabilitation, their refugee allowances were stopped. Stoppage of refugee allowances marked the end of “refugeehood” and marked the beginning of at par rights with locals as citizens in terms of rights and entitlements.

The transit period from CHT to AP was full of hurdles and hardships, fear and anxiety and as well of joy coming back to motherland india. During transit period, many lives were lost due to diseases like malaria, jaundice, fever, etc. The long and audacious journey of over 1200 km from CHT to AP, mostly by foot was marked by stoppages at several places at pre erected refugee camps by the government of India. Some new births were recorded too. Each refugee camp consisted of over 50 to 60 rooms made of bamboo and thatch. Such refugee camps were erected in Tripura, and at  Cachar and Ledo, Assam . Chakma refugees came in batches and were made to stay at Tripura or through Lushai hills (present -day Mizoram) refugee camps initially. From there they were moved in batches to either Cachar or Ledo camps duly escorted by government officials. Refugee allowances in cash and kind was provided by the government of India. In some cases, some families had to spend many years in refugee camps until they were permanently rehabilitated in NEFA , now Arunachal Pradesh.

The main reasons behind rehabilitating the Chakmas in NEFA ( A.P.) by the Central Government of India  are :

a.  Chakmas are tribal, and so are others  in AP, having similar physical features and food habits, therefore they could easily assimilate.

b. Chakmas follow Buddhism, so does their immediate neighbours Khampti and Singpho communities. Common religion brings people much closer.

c. There were abundant vacant and virgin lands in NEFA to accommodate the Chakmas. Further, topographic conditions of AP (NEFA) resembles  CHT.

d.  Post Indo-China war, it was thought unwise to keep vast border lands vacant, thinly populated and abandoned. The Indo-China war happened in 1962,  therefore Chakma/Hajong tribes were settled there in the period 1964 -1969.

e.  Since time immemorial, Chakmas have been loyal and patriotic to India, therefore they would put up strong resistant in case of incursion by China. In other words, Chakmas were settled in NEFA to act as buffer in the event of attack by China. Accordingly, many Chakmas were recruited in SSB ( Sashastra Seema Bal). So, rehabilitation was a strategic decision to safeguard the border areas.

More than 1200 km on land.

The Chakma and Hajong refugees took refuge in 1964, were registered as refugees and relief and rehabilitation certificates were issued to them. They are legal migrants and they  were accepted, sponsored and rehabilitated by the Government of India permanently in NEFA (AP) under a definite plan of rehabilitation during the period 1964-69.

A. As per official census 2011, the population of the Chakmas and Hajongs is 49784 which is net addition of 34896 people during the period from 1964 to 2011. This translates to a growth of 234 % in 47 years or 4.98 % per year.

On the other side, for the period from 1961 to 2011, the population of AP increased from 3.37 lakhs to 13.84 lakhs. This translate to 311 % growth for 50 years or 6.22 % per year which is higher than that of AP Chakma Hajong rate of growth.

This proves that in fact, the growth rate of Chakmas and Hajongs is lower than the state overall growth rate and so we can conclude that there is no abnormal growth in Chakma Hajong population.

The district wise details of the 2748 families who were rehabilitated in NEFA (AP) during 1964-69 are as under:

CHT (Chittagong Hills Tract) is a sizeable hilly landmass in Bangladesh bordering Tripura and Mizoram in the north east and Myanmar in the east, connected to main landmass Bangladesh by a bottle neck piece of land. The total area is 13184 square km. In fact, in terms of area, CHT is bigger than the state of Tripura ( 10492 square km). Before Partition of India, these hill tracts used to be inhabited by 98 percent non muslims comprising of Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, indigenous Assamese, Keot (Kaibarta), Chak, Pankho, Mro, Murang, Bom, Lushei, Khyang, and Khumi. 

These tribal people wanted to remain under India and the same was strongly communicated several times by the tribal leadership led by Mr Sneha Kumar Chakma to then central Indian Leadership and the Boundary Commission (committee appointed to supervise Partition). The central Indian leadership assured that CHT would remain under India. But in the end, innocent, simple and marginalized CHT tribal people were made victims of Partition against their will, CHT was unjustly awarded to Pakistan. Alas!!! It was like throwing the sheep among the wolves. Otherwise, by now, CHT rightfully should have been the eighth sister of North East India.