Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh has flooded East Siang, Siang, and Upper Siang with 30 companies of central armed forces. The heavy deployment follows violent anti-dam demonstrations in Pasighat on October 23. Protesters targeted public property, leading to dozens of arrests and a massive security dragnet.
Inspector General of Police Hibu Tamang confirmed the surge includes the CRPF, ITBP, SSB, RAF, and Assam Police Battalion. Officers are guarding the homes of BJP president Kaling Moyong, MLAs Ninong Ering and Oni Panyang, and MP Tapir Gao. The state has already arrested 69 people for rioting and arson. Authorities have registered 53 criminal cases and issued notices to 201 individuals under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Five minors are currently in a juvenile home.
Tamang blamed the unrest on agitators without clear leadership. "Some misguided youths without any leadership had created law and order situation in Pasighat and vandalised public property. We have registered eight cases in Pasighat and arrested 26 persons in connection with the vandalism," he said. Police now aim to identify the masterminds behind the unrest.
Despite the crackdown, Minister Ojing Tasing met with the East Siang Downstream Dam Affected People's Forum on October 27. Led by Oni Tamuk and Jobomchang Mengu, the group represents 72 villages concerned about the 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Tasing, who chairs a cabinet-appointed committee for the project's pre-feasibility report, insisted that development must move forward with public trust. The project aims to bolster national energy security, yet villagers remain sharply divided. Some signed study agreements, while others reject the survey entirely, fearing for their land and cultural survival.
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