Large protests have broken out in India’s Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, and some turned violent. Protesters set fire to six police vehicles. An office linked to the hydropower project, the Pasighat police station and the homes of several leaders of the state’s ruling party were vandalised.
Police fired tear gas to bring the situation under control. Several people, five police officers among them, were injured in the clashes. Police have arrested five people on charges of vandalism and looting and are questioning them.
To deal with the situation, the district administration has banned public gatherings and processions in the towns of Pasighat, Mebo and Ruksin. Gatherings of more than five people, processions and public meetings are prohibited. Strict warnings have also been issued against carrying weapons and damaging public or private property.
Under an order issued on Saturday by Deputy Commissioner Jayanti Partin, the ban took effect at 5pm on 24 October and will stay in force until further orders. Anyone who defies it will face action under the law, the deputy commissioner said. The superintendent of police and executive magistrates have also been told to take firm steps to keep the situation under control.
Arunachal Pradesh Congress president Bosiram Siram blamed the state government for the unrest. He alleged that the government is pressuring local villagers to support a survey for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, and said police use of force had inflamed the situation further.
Tension has been rising in the valley over local objections to the proposed mega dam on the Siang river and the government’s position on its future.
The Arunachal Pradesh state government, meanwhile, has appealed to people not to spread unverified information, misleading claims or fake news about the proposed 11,200 megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). A notice issued on Saturday by the state’s Department of Information and Public Relations advised people to rely on official notices and authorised sources for accurate information about the project.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report