Itanagar: The All Adi Youth Association issued a firm demand on October 6 for the state to pull Central Armed Police Forces and state police out of the Siang and Upper Siang districts. Tensions are boiling over in the Siang belt because of the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. AAYA Secretary Okut Tali spoke at the Arunachal Press Club to condemn the heavy security presence near Sitang and Riga. He warned that this militarization triggers serious law and order problems.
Clashes erupted recently in Riga and Ugeng. Both protesters and CRPF personnel suffered injuries during the chaotic confrontations. Tali rejected official government claims that most affected families signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the project. He pointed to the ongoing violence as clear proof that the community rejects the current path. "The deployment of heavy security forces was not an appropriate way to address differences over the project," Tali stated.
AAYA claims the state held selective, closed-door meetings to gather consent rather than engaging with all 27 affected villages. They demand that the administration immediately reinstate gaon burahs suspended for protesting and drop all criminal cases registered against locals. The group insists on using the Kebang, a traditional Adi institution, to settle the dispute. Meanwhile, the state government maintains the current Pre-Feasibility Report is just a technical assessment. The proposed 10,000 MW dam remains a flashpoint for fears regarding environment, displacement, and survival.
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