Itanagar, Oct 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Normal life was disrupted in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district on Monday as a 12-hour bandh called by the All Tagin Students’ Union (ATSU) and several other organisations to protest the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) turned violent, with protesters allegedly damaging government company equipment and vehicles, police said.
Police officials said protesters damaged equipment at an NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation)-rented office and one of the company’s vehicles during the shutdown. Two police vehicles were also damaged in Daporijo, leaving a police constable-driver, Hibu Lasha, and a CRPF personnel injured. Both were undergoing treatment in Ziro, an official said.
The shutdown, which began at 5 a.m., was called by the ATSU in collaboration with the Dumporijo Students’ Union (DSU), SINALITASU, the Taliha Students’ Union, the Dumporijo Students’ Union and various land-affected groups and forums.
Meanwhile, property assessment surveys in Jarring, Gusar and Lable were conducted peacefully, the official said.
Police also carried out a flag march in Daporijo town and appealed to youths to maintain peace and refrain from violence.
The agitation comes amid growing opposition to major hydropower projects in the state, particularly the proposed SUMP. Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein earlier on a number of occasions said that the proposed 11,200 MW generation capacity SUMP, being developed by the state-owned NHPC, could play an important role in regulating downstream water flows and reducing the risk of flooding in the Siang basin and downstream areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The protesting organisations have expressed concern over the potential impact of the projects on the rights, interests and future of affected communities. They have sought adequate safeguards for residents whose ancestral land and livelihoods could be affected by the proposed development.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress on Monday demanded a substantial reduction in the deployment of 250 additional Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel in areas witnessing protests against the proposed Siang mega dam project. The opposition party accused the state government of relying on force rather than addressing the concerns of affected communities.
In a statement, the Congress urged the government to initiate dialogue with affected residents, suspend pre-feasibility survey activities until meaningful consultations are held, and order an impartial inquiry into the reported use of tear gas against civilians during a recent 12-hour bandh.
The party said the agitation reflected widespread concerns over ancestral land, customary rights, livelihoods, environmental and seismic risks, displacement and the future of the Siang river. It also sought clarification on assurances reportedly given by Chief Minister Pema Khandu during a meeting with Adi youths from the affected areas, asking the government to disclose which commitments had been fulfilled and which remained pending.
While condemning violence, arson and damage to public and private property, the Congress called for legal action against those responsible. At the same time, it cautioned against collective punishment and the suppression of legitimate democratic dissent, stressing the need to distinguish peaceful protests from criminal acts.
The party also sought details of the necessity, mandate and duration of the additional RAF deployment, warning that an expanded security presence could further aggravate tensions instead of resolving the dispute. It demanded the release of detained youths wherever their continued detention was not legally justified, along with a review of protest-related first information reports (FIRs) and allegations of arbitrary arrests and retaliatory action.
The APCC urged the state government to hold time-bound discussions with the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), the Adi Bane Kebang Union (ABKU), the Siang Area Youth Association (SAAYA), village elders, traditional institutions and other concerned organisations.
Talking to the media, Arunachal Pradesh Congress president Bosiram Siram claimed that the proposed SUMP would lead to the submergence of 27 villages due to the construction of the dam.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz