Guwahati: Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk has urged President Droupadi Murmu to intervene in the “disturbing situation” unfolding in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang valley and protect the rights of indigenous communities, particularly the Adi people, who are opposing the proposed 11.2 gigawatt (GW) Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
In a letter to the President on Tuesday, Wangchuk drew parallels between the resistance to the project in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh’s demand for constitutional safeguards, saying indigenous communities are concerned about protecting environment and ecology, ancestral lands and cultural identity.
“For years, our people have been peacefully demanding constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule to protect our fragile ecology, ancestral lands and cultural identity. We know what it feels like when decisions affecting our future are taken without adequately consulting us,” he wrote.
Addressing Murmu, Wangchuk said he believed she is particularly placed to understand the concerns of indigenous communities because of her own tribal background.
“Respected Rashtrapati Ji, I believe you are especially placed to understand this pain. Coming from an indigenous tribal community yourself, you understand that for us, nature is not merely a resource to be exploited, but a mother to be protected,” he wrote.
He drew a parallel between the Adi people’s relationship with the Siang river and that of Ladakh’s communities with their mountains, glaciers and rivers.
“The Adi people call their river Ane Siang (Mother Siang). Their relationship with the river is much like our own relationship with the mountains, glaciers and rivers of Ladakh,” he wrote.
Referring to recent developments in the Siang Valley, Wangchuk said thousands of security personnel had been deployed, young activists arrested and villagers subjected to intimidation and restrictions on their movement.
“There are serious allegations of police excesses, including against elderly villagers, and criminal cases against those opposing the project. What pains me particularly is the attempt to portray people raising legitimate concerns as anti-national or foreign-funded,” he said.
Wangchuk said the people of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh hav always “stood firmly” with India through wars and border crises, supporting and standing “shoulder to shoulder with the Indian armed forces, often under the harshest conditions”.
“It is therefore deeply unfortunate that people from these very communities, who have stood by the nation in its most difficult times, should face accusations of being anti-national or foreign-funded simply for questioning government policies,” he wrote.
He said such accusations weakened rather than strengthened national security, stressing that “the trust, goodwill and active cooperation of local communities are among our country’s greatest strategic strengths”.
Citing the glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim’s Teesta basin, Wangchuk reminded the President of the risks associated with large-scale interventions in mountain river systems.
“Development must be planned with extreme caution and with the full participation of the people who will bear its consequences,” he wrote.
Wangchuk urged the President to ensure the withdrawal of what he described as excessive security forces from civilian areas of the Siang Valley and the restoration of normal life. He also sought the release of people detained for peaceful protests, withdrawal of what he termed unjustified criminal cases and an independent investigation into allegations of police excesses.
He called for an end to coercive measures and irreversible project-related actions until meaningful dialogue takes place with affected indigenous communities, taking their land rights and concerns into account. He further sought an independent and comprehensive assessment of the project’s environmental, geological, seismic and social impacts before it proceeds further.
The letter comes amid protests by indigenous communities, particularly the Adi people, against the proposed mega hydropower project.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Monday that neither the Centre nor the state government had taken a decision to construct the project and that the ongoing exercise is limited to preparing a pre-feasibility report.
“We are not talking about dam construction at this stage,” Khandu said, promising open dialogue, transparency and public consultation before any decision.
The state government has said arrests followed incidents of violence and vandalism during a youth-led protest against the mega dam on October 23. Khandu said disagreement is a democratic right but warned that the law would be used to deal with violence, blockades and attacks.
Wangchuk concluded his letter by stressing the importance of protecting the Himalayan ecosystem and respecting the communities living in the region.
“The Himalayas are both the water towers of India and the shield of our borders. Protecting their ecology and respecting the communities who have lived here for generations is not against national development or national security. It is essential to both,” he wrote.
“Our border communities deserve to be treated as trusted partners in nation-building, not as suspects for raising their voices,” he concluded.