The streets of Itanagar spoke loudly on Friday — and the government would do well to listen.
Thousands of students, job aspirants, and ordinary residents flooded the capital on August 8, marching from Akashdeep to Indira Gandhi Park in what organisers called the Final Mass Referendum Rally. Their message was blunt and unmistakable: roll back the 80:20 job reservation ratio in government recruitment, or face an even bigger fight. The rally, led by the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF) and its chairman Tadak Nalo, was one of the largest public mobilisations the state has witnessed over the employment issue in recent memory.
“Two Years of Committees, Zero Solutions”
AFTF chairman Tadak Nalo made no effort to hide his frustration when speaking to the media. Chief Minister Pema Khandu had announced a committee to look into the matter — a familiar response — but Nalo flatly rejected it, pointing out that committees had been formed over the past two years without producing any concrete outcome. That’s the kind of institutional fatigue that turns peaceful marchers into determined agitators. The crowd clearly agreed. There was no ambiguity in the air on Friday — people hadn’t come for promises; they had come for action.
What the Protesters Are Actually Asking For
The core demand is straightforward: the immediate withdrawal of the 80:20 recruitment policy. Beyond that, protesters want Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) or Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) status to be made mandatory for candidates appearing in public recruitment examinations. The AFTF has also pushed for structural changes in the recruitment processes of the APPSC and APSSB, arguing that eligibility requirements should offer stronger protection to the state’s indigenous population. For a predominantly tribal state grappling with unemployment, these aren’t fringe demands — they touch something deep.
The Exam Result That Lit the Fire
The agitation didn’t come from nowhere. It intensified sharply after the recent Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination, when a non-tribal candidate emerged as the top scorer — a result that triggered widespread concern among local communities over employment opportunities and representation in government jobs. Whether one agrees with the protesters or not, it’s hard to dismiss the raw anxiety behind that reaction. Young people who have studied hard, in a state with limited options, watching coveted seats slip away — that emotion is real and it demands serious engagement.
A “Do or Die” Warning the Government Cannot Ignore
The AFTF has explicitly warned of an intensified “do or die” agitation if its demands are not addressed. The rally itself was held on the anniversary of the Quit India Movement — a deliberate choice, projecting the protest as a peaceful democratic assertion of rights. In an apparent response to the mounting pressure, the state government has announced that a High-Power Committee headed by Minister Nyato Dukam will hold its first official meeting on August 10 to discuss the reservation issue. The AFTF, however, has already called previous such committees an “eyewash.” Another meeting, without a timeline or commitment, may not be enough to cool what is clearly a boiling situation.
The youth of Arunachal are not just asking for jobs — they’re asking to belong in their own land. That’s a question no committee can answer with paperwork alone.
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