ITANAGAR, OCT 31:
The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) has appealed to organisations, community groups, student bodies and individuals to maintain peace and exercise restraint amid the prevailing tensions over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in parts of the Siang belt, particularly Upper Siang, Siang and East Siang districts.
In a statement on Saturday, the AITF expressed concern over reports of unpleasant incidents, insecurity and disturbances to peace and tranquillity in the region, stating that acts of violence and the deployment of heavily armed forces had drawn its attention to the situation.
Describing the developments as detrimental to the interests of Arunachal Pradesh, the forum said it had taken suo motu cognisance of the situation and constituted a seven-member AITF Peace Committee on October 28 to engage with concerned stakeholders, hear their grievances and facilitate constructive and lawful dialogue to restore trust and normalcy.
The forum clarified that the eight-member Fact-Finding Committee constituted on January 30, 2025, had consequently been dissolved.
Appealing to all organisations and individuals to extend cooperation to the peace initiative, the AITF urged stakeholders to provide the Peace Committee sufficient time and space to facilitate dialogue and work towards a solution acceptable to all contending parties. It called for differences to be resolved through mutual understanding and collective wisdom, keeping the larger interests of the people and the state above all other considerations.
The forum also urged people not to circulate unverified information or take the law into their own hands. It appealed to organisations and individuals to refrain from activities such as dharnas and bandh calls that could further aggravate the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Referring to past instances, the AITF observed that anti-social elements sometimes take advantage of bandhs and dharnas, resulting in situations beyond the control of organisers and causing hardship to ordinary citizens, particularly those requiring medical assistance and emergency services.
Reiterating the importance of peace and brotherhood, the forum urged all stakeholders to uphold mutual respect and pursue peaceful dialogue rather than allow differences of opinion to disturb the state’s harmony.
