ITANAGAR, NOV 2:
Normal life was disrupted in parts of Arunachal Pradesh on Monday as a 36-hour shutdown called by organisations opposing the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) affected business establishments, educational institutions and public transport in the region.
The impact was particularly visible in Upper Siang district, where several schools, government offices, shops and markets remained closed. Public transport, including buses, stayed off the roads, while protesters reportedly burnt tyres at several locations.
The shutdown was called by the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) and the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA) across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts. However, its impact varied across the three districts.
Upper Siang Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Ashok Tajo said several government offices, educational institutions and commercial establishments remained closed, particularly in Yingkiong and Geku.
Tajo, invoking Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, declared the shutdown illegal. The order stated that such shutdowns cause hardship to daily wage earners, students, patients requiring emergency medical services, businesses and commuters, besides posing risks to public peace and property.
A senior police official in Siang district, however, said the shutdown had no impact there, with government offices, schools and shops functioning normally. East Siang witnessed some disruption.
The protesting organisations are demanding the release of arrested demonstrators, withdrawal of additional security forces from the affected areas and suspension of ongoing survey activities for the proposed hydropower project.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has demanded the scrapping of SUMP and the release of those arrested for protesting against the proposed dam on the Siang River.
In a statement, the APCC said no development project should be implemented at the cost of Indigenous communities’ ancestral land, identity, culture and livelihood. It maintained that the prior consent of people likely to be affected by the project was essential.
“Different groups but one voice; different organisations but one collective resolve – Stop SUMP, Save Siang,” the party said, urging Indigenous organisations, student unions, youth groups, civil society organisations and traditional institutions to unite against the project.
The Congress also expressed concern over the arrest of protesters, suspension of government employees and action against Gaon Burahs opposing the project. It demanded the immediate release of all arrested protesters, withdrawal of cases registered under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, revocation of suspension orders against government employees and withdrawal of cases against Gaon Burahs.
The party further sought the withdrawal of additional security personnel from the proposed project-affected areas, adequate compensation for those who had suffered losses, and medical assistance and rehabilitation for injured protesters.
Urging the State Government and the Centre to restore peace in the Siang region, the APCC called for dialogue and confidence-building measures. It also appealed to all sections of society to maintain unity and pursue the movement through peaceful and democratic means.
“Save Siang, save our land and save our people,” the party added.
The proposed project, envisioned as one of India’s largest hydropower initiatives, has faced sustained opposition from sections of the Indigenous Adi community, particularly residents of the areas likely to be affected. Their concerns include the possible submergence of ancestral villages, displacement, loss of agricultural land and forests, and disruption of traditional ways of life.
According to reports, 27 villages could be submerged, while several dozen others may be affected. The project also has strategic significance for the Centre in the context of China’s proposed hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which enters India as the Siang. (Source: Agencies)
