Arunachal Congress Presses Rahul Gandhi to Tackle Border and Dam Issues

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Congress leaders want Rahul Gandhi to force a showdown in Parliament. APCC president Bosiram Siram handed a list of demands to party brass in New Delhi on Saturday, July 1. He says the BJP failed the state. The party wants a total overhaul of Article 371(H). They want it matched to the protections in Nagaland and Mizoram. They argue the current rules leave land and natural resources wide open to exploitation.

The Congress also wants Sixth Schedule status to solidify tribal governance. They are not backing down on the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. It is a mega dam in a quake-prone zone. The party claims the project puts two lakh people in the crosshairs. It threatens to drown ancestral sites like Kekar Monying. Siram insists local consent is not optional. The party accused the BJP of practicing "selective nationalism" regarding Chinese activity on the border. They want the Centre to issue a full White Paper on the situation immediately.

Beyond border security and environmental risks, the party is pushing to scrap the National Pension System. They demand a return to the Old Pension Scheme to guarantee worker security. Siram says the state is more than just raw materials for the taking. It is a home for indigenous tribes. He wants Gandhi to fight for these points in the Lok Sabha with everything he has.