The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of security forces from areas affected by the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
The Opposition party warned that pushing ahead with the mega dam without the consent of indigenous communities could deepen tensions and threaten peace.
Addressing a press conference, former APCC president Takam Sanjoy accused the government of adopting a coercive approach towards communities opposing the project and urged it to prioritise dialogue over confrontation.
Sanjoy said the SUMP controversy had moved beyond hydropower generation and infrastructure development to become a larger question of democratic consent, indigenous rights and public trust.
“The people of Arunachal Pradesh are not against development. They are entitled to ask what kind of development is being pursued, at whose cost, and with whose consent. Their questions cannot be answered with police deployment, arrests or administrative pressure,” he said.
Presenting a 13-point charter of demands, the Congress sought the withdrawal of paramilitary forces and police personnel from project-affected areas, withdrawal of FIRs against protesting villagers, youths and students wherever legally justified, and a review of suspension and termination orders issued against gaon buras (village head) and government employees.
Sanjoy also demanded the immediate release of four detained Adi activists, Adum Tayom, Omak Paron, Okut Paloh and Oson Paron, and a fair legal review of cases registered against them, including the reported invocation of the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014.
