Activists seek release of arrested protesters of Siang project

New Delhi: Environmental activists and organisations on Monday, November 2, raised concerns over alleged police brutality, arrests and detention of those protesting against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh and demanded their immediate release.

They also called for the withdrawal of FIRs filed against the protesters and the “demilitarisation” of the region, according to a statement issued by Youth for Himalayas, an organisation that works with various communities to protect the mountain range.

The situation since the October 23 protests has brought questions of democratic rights, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest into sharp focus, the statement said.

‘Community never informed’

Speaking at an online press conference organised by Youth for Himalayas, Tagori Mize, spokesperson of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), said that the community and individual landowners were never informed or consulted about the proposed dam project.

“Instead, unlawful means are being used to forge majority consent, and the signatures are being obtained by misleading people,” Mize alleged.

He further claimed that despite several meetings with government representatives to raise their concerns, no meaningful effort had been made to address their apprehensions or take the community into confidence.

According to Mize, more than 3,000 paramilitary personnel are deployed across three Adi districts: East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang.

Dubit Siram, general secretary of SIFF’s youth wing, said the tense situation has also begun to affect the everyday lives and mobility of residents in the valley.

“The region is in the middle of its harvest season, yet people’s movement is being severely restricted. Even farmers are not allowed to travel in groups to their fields, disrupting their ability to carry out essential agricultural activities,” he said.

Youth for Himalayas said in its statement that the proposed mega hydropower project has raised serious concerns among indigenous communities over the future of their ancestral lands, river systems, livelihoods, cultural heritage and territorial rights.

“For communities in the Siang region, the project represents not merely an infrastructure proposal but a decision with far-reaching implications for determining their own future,” it said.

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