The Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to intervene over objections filed against at least 1,292 Chakma electors in four Assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The CDFI has also sought the deployment of independent ECI observers and central security forces during the hearings scheduled to begin on September 2, 2026, at Diyun and Bordumsa.
According to the CDFI, objections have been raised against 413 Chakma voters in Bordumsa-Diyum, 49 in Miao, 774 in Doimukh and 56 in Chowkham constituencies.
CDFI founder Suhas Chakma alleged that the objections represented a systematic targeting of Chakma electors. He claimed that in some cases, a single individual had filed objections against as many as 30 Chakma electors on the grounds that they were not Indian citizens, despite allegedly having no knowledge of the individuals concerned.
He said the citizenship status of Chakmas born in India had already been addressed through several judicial and administrative orders, including the Delhi High Court judgment in People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) vs Election Commission of India & Others on September 28, 2000; ECI Order No. 23/ARUN/2003 dated March 3, 2004; the Gauhati High Court judgment of March 19, 2013; and the Supreme Court judgment of September 17, 2015, in Committee for C.R. of Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh vs State of Arunachal Pradesh.
“The Chakmas had been voting for the last 26 years,” Chakma said.
The CDFI also raised concerns over the acceptance of objections against 41 Chakma voters in Part 41-Moitripur under the 49-Bordumsa-Diyum Assembly Constituency on August 22, despite the prescribed deadline for filing objections having ended on August 20, 2026. The organisation termed the move a violation of the prescribed procedure.
The foundation further referred to ECI Order No. 23/ARUN/2003, which had described the non-inclusion of eligible Chakma voters in electoral rolls as an issue of racial discrimination and held that exclusion on the basis of race or tribe would violate Article 325 of the Constitution.
The CDFI expressed concern over the possibility of intimidation or violence against Chakmas during the hearings, particularly after the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) constituted a committee on SIR of electoral rolls on July 14, 2026, to identify and remove alleged non-citizen entries.
Citing the Supreme Court’s January 9, 1996 judgment in National Human Rights Commission vs State of Arunachal Pradesh & Anr., the CDFI said central security forces had previously been directed to ensure the protection of the life and personal liberty of Chakmas residing in the state.
The organisation has therefore urged the ECI to direct the Chief Electoral Officer of Arunachal Pradesh and the concerned Electoral Registration Officer to disallow objections filed after the prescribed deadline; deploy independent ECI observers to monitor the hearings and disposal of claims and objections; and ensure that every objection is considered individually and strictly according to law.
The CDFI also urged authorities to ensure that no elector is excluded merely because of their Chakma identity and that no external organisation or individual is allowed to interfere with or influence the statutory verification process
It further called upon the Union government and the Arunachal Pradesh government to deploy central security forces during the hearings to protect Chakmas and Hajongs from intimidation, coercion or undue influence.