Pasighat: Human Rights of Arunachal (HRA) has urged the Arunachal Pradesh government to withdraw additional paramilitary forces and police personnel deployed in areas affected by the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), review cases registered against protesters and initiate dialogue with local communities amid escalating tensions in Siang and Upper Siang districts.
In a statement, HRA called for confidence-building measures, a review of first information reports (FIRs) against villagers, youths and students in connection with SUMP-related protests, and reconsideration of suspension and termination orders involving Gaon Burahs and other government employees. It said any arrangements should remain lawful and proportionate, with due process followed in administrative and criminal proceedings.
The organisation also demanded an immediate review of cases involving four detained Adi social activists — Adum Tayom, Omak Paron, Okut Paloh and Oson Paron. It cautioned that disproportionate security measures and criminal proceedings against peaceful protesters could deepen public resentment rather than resolve the dispute.
HRA chairman Kipa Kaha appealed to the state government and the administrations of Siang and Upper Siang districts to convene an inclusive, high-level round-table discussion involving affected communities and project authorities.
The proposed dialogue, he said, should include Adi community elders and customary institutions, villagers, farmers, landowners, potentially affected families, representatives of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), Gaon Burahs, elected panchayat representatives, youth groups, students, civil society organisations, government officials and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
HRA said the consultation should allow residents to raise concerns, obtain verified information and seek answers without fear or intimidation.
Kaha also demanded the resignation of Panchayati Raj Minister Ojing Tasing, who chairs the High-Power Committee associated with SUMP. He criticised the minister’s support for advancing the project as a “National Project”, arguing that the concerns of affected communities had not been adequately addressed.
The organisation also questioned the positions taken by elected representatives, including MP Tapir Gao and MLAs Alo Libang, Onit Panyang and Okeng Tayeng, as well as local panchayat representatives. Kaha called on them to explain their positions publicly and clarify how they intended to address the concerns of affected communities.
HRA maintained that support for a development project should not replace meaningful consultation with people whose lives and territories could be affected.
The organisation also called for transparent, independently scrutinised technical assessments of the strategic and technical arguments advanced in support of SUMP, particularly comparisons with the proposed mega hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows into the Brahmaputra in India.
According to HRA, public debate has cited an approximately 60,000 MW project in Tibet and the proposed 11,000 MW SUMP in Arunachal Pradesh, alongside reported storage capacities of around 5.5 billion cubic metres (BCM) and 9.2 BCM, respectively. The organisation said the figures and their implications required clear, independently verified explanations.
Kaha said national security is an important consideration but should not be used to disregard the rights and concerns of people living in project-affected areas. HRA urged the state and central governments and NHPC to provide accessible, evidence-based information on the project’s necessity, risks, benefits and alternatives.
The organisation also sought full disclosure of information relating to the reported Rs 350-crore Siang Special Development Package. It said development assistance and livelihood support should not be used as substitutes for informed public consultation or as a means of pressuring communities to accept the project.
HRA further urged the state government and NHPC to temporarily suspend field activities related to the project’s pre-feasibility report (PFR) in the affected areas until public confidence is restored and local concerns are addressed through a credible consultation process.
The organisation called on the government to ensure that decisions on SUMP adhere to democratic principles, transparency, accountability and respect for indigenous communities.