Three days after violence in Changlang district’s Bordumsa area over the alleged inclusion of “non-indigenous” communities in the electoral rolls, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said people with complaints must follow the rules governing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR).
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Urging the students, organisations, and residents of Changlang district to maintain peace, he said any deviation from the prescribed process should be reported through written complaints to the appropriate authorities.
First SIR since 2006
“The SIR is being conducted in Arunachal Pradesh for the first time since 2006, and the rules governing the exercise clearly specify the documents required from applicants and their parents, as well as the procedure for submitting them,” Mr. Khandu said on Monday (September 7, 2026).
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“Those who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria will be considered eligible to vote, and those who do not meet the criteria will not qualify to be in the electoral rolls. The rules are very clear,” he said.
The Chief Minister said people should have confidence in the system and follow the procedures specified for the SIR. “Submit complaints in writing if you find any deviation. We can investigate accordingly,” he said.
Members of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union reportedly clashed with Chakma and Hajong people in Bordumsa area on September 4 during a hearing for the SIR process. The union was apprehensive that Chakma and Hajong people who allegedly settled in Arunachal Pradesh after 2006 would be enlisted as voters.
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.
On India-China border
Regarding developments along the India-China border, the Chief Minister said he met with representatives of the Nga and Mara communities in Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district to understand the situation on the ground.
He said the concerns and suggestions from the communities (in the Taksing area) were subsequently raised with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. “The Centre, concerned about the situation, is expected to provide the required infrastructure support to the border regions in the coming days,” he said.