Will focus on peace talks with rebel groups: Tapir Gao

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Tapir Gao, who won the Arunachal East Lok Sabha seat after a gap of 10 years, said that his priority as a parliamentarian would be to improve the law and order situation in his constituency. Different armed rebel groups, including factions, of NSCN are active in the region.
NPP MLA Tirong Aboh was gunned down by NSCN rebels in the same constituency two weeks ago. NSCN (Isak Muivah), which is in peace talks with Centre, is suspected to be behind the killing of Aboh.
This time, BJP has won both the seats in the state - Arunachal East and Arunachal West. Kiren Rijiju, who won the Arunachal West seat, has been appointed as Union MoS(independent charge) for youth affairs, sports and minority affairs.
"My first task will be to work for improving law and order situation in my constituency. As we all know, the sitting MLA from Khonsa West assembly seat in my constituency, Tirong Aboh, along with his son and nine others, were gunned down by militants this month. There have been many such killings in the past as well," said Gao, who has steered the saffron party to a landslide victory in the Himalayan state this time.
Arunachal East comprises 27 assembly segments across Upper Siang, East Siang, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Anjaw, Changlang, Longding and Tirap districts. Different factions of NSCN and Ulfa are active in Changling, Longding and Tirap districts, bordering Assam, Nagaland and Myanmar.
"My effort will be to facilitate dialogues with those armed groups which are still not in ceasefire with the Centre. Development can only happen when there is peace. My area of emphasis will be to establish peace in my constituency," Gao, who will be sworn in along with other MPs on June 6, said.
He added that militant activity and violence has held back development in the constituency. "We have to usher in development in my constituency. We have a lot of work to do in the fields of education, health and basic infrastructure," Gao said.
Gao had first won from Arunachal East as a BJP candidate in 2004. Congress's Ninong Ering won from the seat in 2004 and 2009.