Itanagar: Opposition to the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh has intensified, with environmental engineer and anti-dam activist Katon Mayong insisting that no dam should be built on the Siang River, even as the state government released four protesters detained over the agitation.
Speaking at a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club in Itanagar on Thursday, Mayong said the time for discussions with the government was over and reiterated that the Adi community would not accept a dam on the river's main channel.
Anti-Siang hydro dam activist Katon Moyong (#Aborman), who was recently detained by the Delhi Police for #protesting against the project, has outright rejected the government’s invitation for talks on the #SUMP. Asserting that the time for discussion has passed, he stated, "No dam means no dam." Moyong also dismantled the government’s national security narrative, terming it a false narrative.
He said indigenous communities in the Siang Valley were not opposed to development but wanted dams to be constructed on the river's tributaries instead.
"It has been 47 years since we have been shouting in the government's ear. From our grandfather's generation to ours, we have been clear: no Siang Dam. We are not against development. You can build dams in the tributaries, but not in the mainstream," Mayong said.
He added that the community would resist the project, saying the entire Adi community would have to be "exterminated" for a dam to be built on the Siang.
Mayong, who was recently detained by Delhi Police for protesting against the proposed project, said community-based organisations should not hold discussions with the government without the consent of all 60 concerned village councils.
He also alleged that the government was attempting to divide tribal communities to secure memorandums of understanding with individual villages. Citing disputes between several villages and sub-clans, he claimed the strategy had failed because the community had united against the project.
Mayong further claimed that 99 per cent of the community opposed the proposed dam.
His remarks came amid the state government's renewed efforts to initiate dialogue with groups opposing the project. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has rejected allegations of forced displacement, describing claims that residents would be removed from their homes and land taken without consent as false.
Khandu said the government remained committed to dialogue, transparency and addressing concerns over the project. However, he warned that violence, blockades, threats and attacks would not be tolerated.
The proposed 11,200-MW project, being pursued by the Centre through NHPC, is envisaged as a multipurpose storage project combining hydropower generation, water management and strategic objectives. Sections of the indigenous Adi community have opposed it over concerns about displacement, submergence of ancestral villages, loss of land and livelihoods, environmental damage and dam safety in the seismically active region.
Meanwhile, four protesters detained over the SUMP agitation were released from Jully Central Jail near Itanagar on Saturday, nearly a month after their arrest.
The four, Adum Tayom, Omak Paron, Okut Paloh and Oson Paron, were detained on October 9 under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014.
Their release came a day after the state government agreed to free them as a goodwill gesture in response to demands raised by the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF), which has been leading the protests against the proposed dam.
In a letter dated November 6, the Chief Minister's Office also approved the reinstatement of suspended gaonburas and gaonburis who had faced disciplinary action in connection with the agitation.
However, the government said the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters would have to follow due legal process. The demand for withdrawing Central Armed Police Forces and Rapid Action Force personnel from the region would be discussed during a proposed meeting with SIFF representatives, taking into account the prevailing security situation.
The government has urged SIFF to resume dialogue and communicate a convenient date and list of delegates for a meeting with Khandu. It has also appealed to residents of Siang and Upper Siang districts to maintain peace.
The release of the four protesters was among SIFF's key demands before agreeing to participate in talks. The forum had earlier rejected the Chief Minister's invitation, insisting that the release of detainees and withdrawal of security forces be addressed first.
The latest government response did not announce the reinstatement of suspended or terminated government employees, another demand raised by the forum.
The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) welcomed the release but called for the withdrawal of all remaining cases and fulfilment of other pending demands.
Party president Bosiram Siram said the release was a step towards restoring peace and trust in the Siang region. The party also sought the removal of security forces from affected villages and inclusive dialogue with communities over the proposed project.
Separately, seven people are undertaking a 300-km march from Geku in Upper Siang district to Itanagar, demanding the release of those detained in connection with the protests and the withdrawal of security forces from the region.
Organised by the Adi Galo Welfare Society, the march began on November 4. Participants reached East Siang district on November 6 and continued towards the state capital, according to the organisation's general secretary and march organising chairman, Sanju Taloh.
Taloh said the march was intended to press the government to address the concerns of protesters and facilitate the release of those detained during the agitation. Six people remain in detention following Saturday's release of the four protesters.
Protests against the project intensified in September and October, with violent confrontations reported during the period. Protesters set fire to an NHPC office and a police station in Pasighat on October 23, while several vehicles and properties linked to political leaders were damaged.
The unrest prompted additional security deployment and renewed efforts by the state government to initiate dialogue. The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum has also proposed a peace committee to facilitate discussions between the government and groups opposing the project.
Khandu had earlier clarified that neither the Centre nor the state government had approved construction of the project and that only the preparation of a pre-feasibility report was under consideration.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)