The Adi Galo Welfare Society has given the Arunachal Pradesh government 48 hours to respond to demands against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, after completing an 11-day, nearly 400-km march to Itanagar. The group is seeking the project’s scrapping, the release of protesters arrested during the agitation and the withdrawal of Central Armed Police Forces from affected areas.
The 10-member delegation, led by AGWS president Geyi Bagra, completed its march from Geku to Itanagar on Sunday. Bagra said the organisation would use Monday and Tuesday to await the government’s response before deciding its next course of action. “The next 48 hours are crucial, and we will decide our future course of action based on the govt’s response,” he said, according to the Times of India.
The march received support in Upper Siang, Siang and East Siang districts, as well as in Assam’s Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts, Bagra said. Participation was limited in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh because prohibitory orders banning public gatherings remained in force amid continuing tensions over the project.
Bagra said residents in Assam had also expressed concern about possible downstream effects. He added that two organisations from Nagaland and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had conveyed solidarity with the AGWS. The organisation has called for talks involving community-based organisations, student bodies and other groups opposing the project.
The AGWS has also demanded the withdrawal of all FIRs filed in connection with the protests, the removal of paramilitary forces deployed for the project’s pre-feasibility study from Siang and Upper Siang districts, and consultations with affected villages. It has sought the reinstatement of gaon burahs and government employees suspended or dismissed for opposing the project.
The organisation welcomed the release of some activists arrested in connection with the protests but continued to demand the unconditional release of all detainees. More than 50 people have been arrested and eight minors detained in connection with the agitation across the Siang belt, the report said.
The deadline follows a separate 48-hour condition set by Adi Bane Kebang-United, a major Adi tribal organisation involved in the anti-dam movement. ABKU had agreed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s offer of talks but made the release of detainees and withdrawal of criminal cases preconditions. Its deadline expired on Sunday.
Opposition to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is rooted in fears that the proposed dam could submerge villages, displace families and disrupt the traditional way of life of the Adi community. The Siang river, known locally as Ane Siang or Mother Siang, has cultural and spiritual significance for the community.
Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao has said the Siang dam would be built “come what may”. Bagra urged him to exercise caution while commenting on the issue. Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh Congress president Bosiram Siram welcomed the marchers in Itanagar and felicitated them with traditional scarves. The state government’s response to the AGWS demands is expected within the two-day deadline set by the organisation.
