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The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, allowing these regions to establish autonomous councils with legislative, judicial, executive, and financial powers. However, Arunachal Pradesh, despite having a significant tribal population, lacks similar constitutional protections.
As of the 2011 Census, Ladakh has a population of approximately 2.74 lakh, while Arunachal Pradesh has around 13.8 lakh people. In Arunachal, there are 26 major tribes and over 100 minor tribes, with two-thirds of the population being tribal.
Despite this, the state does not have provisions to protect indigenous rights, aside from regulations like the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, and the Chin Hill Regulation, 1896.
Without protective mechanisms under the Constitution, Arunachal Pradesh’s tribal communities are at risk of losing their languages, cultural customs, religious identity, and community rights. For instance, the Tangsa tribe, the largest in the Changlang district, has over 40 sub-tribes, each with its own dialect, but their language is still categorized as "endangered."
Similarly, the Tangam language is critically endangered, with only around 200 speakers remaining.
Given that the Sixth Schedule aims to protect the rights of indigenous tribes in the northeastern region, it is crucial to extend these protections to the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. The immediate priority is to conduct a thorough census to assess the population, distribution, language usage, and religious practices of all tribes in the state.
The government should convene discussions to explore the inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh under the Sixth Schedule, ensuring the protection of its indigenous communities.
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