The Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP) has expressed strong opposition to the 6 December notification issued by the Siang deputy commissioner for requisitioning Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel for deployment in Riew village to assist in conducting the pre-feasibility survey for the proposed 11,000 mw Siang upper multipurpose project (SUMP), terming the move “anti-people.”
ADP president Tami Pangu during a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here on Thursday said that the party views the order (No SD/CSR-01/2022-23) issued by the DC “very seriously.”
Pangu termed the current situation “a failure of the state government” to take the affected people in confidence.
“The Siang region has many MLAs, and the current situation reflects their inability to redress the grievances of their own public,” he said.
The ADP questioned why, if the majority of thelandowners are not interested in the project, the government is not taking alternative measures vis-à-vis the project.
Pangu also questioned the MLAs what actions they have initiated to convince their voters to support the dam construction.
“If there is no fear of an armed rebellion, why has the CAPF been deployed?” he said, and sought to know who would be held responsible in case something untoward were to occur.
“Every developmental project should be eco-friendly as well as people-friendly. In a democratic country like India, forcible implementation of any project by using CAPF is a violation of the constitutional provisions of the fundamental rights. The ADP terms such an act anti-people,” Pangu said.
He added that the ADF does not want a repeat of the violence that had occurred in Tawang district on 2 May, 2016, over anti-dam protests, in which two persons died and several were injured.
Responding to a query, Pangu said, “The ADP doesn’t does not want to give it a political colour and it welcomes any development by the Centre and the state. However, however our only stand is that the consent of the public should be taken prior to implementing or sanctioning any developmental activity or project.”
Pangu said that “despite public hue and cry over the issue, there has been no proper response from the part of the government. Now that the CAPF deployment is on the fore, it is a major concern.”
Stating that “the government should take up the matter peacefully instead of using force,” he said that “the government should see it from a humanitarian point of view, rather than from a political one.”
The ADP suggested that the state government constitute a high-level committee, “including members of all existing political parties and community-based organisations,” to take the issue forward, before conducting any survey.
On Wednesday, the Northeast Human Rights (NEHR) had on behalf of the villagers condemned the state government for deploying CAPF personnel in Riew.
Earlier this week, the NEHR had sent letter to the chief minister and his deputy, seeking immediate withdrawal of the CAPF personnel.
