Guwahati: More than 100 people staged a protest in Guwahati on Friday, demanding the scrapping of the proposed 11,200 MW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh.

The demonstration was held outside Cotton University in solidarity with the anti-dam people’s movement in Arunachal Pradesh.

The protesters urged the government to immediately cancel the project and respect the democratic views of local communities. They alleged that the Arunachal Pradesh government was adopting repressive measures to suppress the anti-dam movement and using violence against protesters.

They also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of more than 60 people arrested or detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA) following recent protests.

Participants at the demonstration said the implementation of the Upper Siang Multipurpose Project could displace thousands of families from their ancestral lands.

They also warned that the project could cause irreversible damage to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, threaten river-dependent livelihoods and put the cultural heritage of indigenous communities at risk.

The protesters maintained that any attempt to impose such a massive project without the views and consent of local communities would not be accepted under any circumstances.

They also resolved to build a joint movement involving people from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh against all large dam projects proposed on rivers across the Northeast. The protesters called on people in both states to unite in defence of indigenous rights, the environment and livelihoods.

Maini Mahanta, Shankar Saikia and Manorama Gogoi were among those who attended the protest, along with Subrata Talukdar and Bidisha Barman of the Joint Struggle Committee for Land Rights, and Chandan Borgohain.

Others included Nirankush Nath and Sangeeta Das of the CPI(M); Utpala Das; Pankaj Kumar Das of CPI(ML) Liberation; Jayanta Gogoi of the CPI; Debanga Gogoi of the Patkai Civilisation Protection Coordination Forum; Debajit Choudhury of the All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha; Ankumaan Bordoloi and Dhanjit Baishya of the Jatiya Yuva Bahini; Chabin Rabha of the Ukiam anti-dam movement; and student leader Siddhartha Hazarika.

Several students from Gauhati University and Cotton University also took part in the demonstration.