North Lakhimpur: The government should not attempt to push through the proposed 11.2 gigawatt (GW) Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) by force and must respect the concerns of people in both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, said Adi Galo Welfare Society (AGWS) president Geyi Bagra as the organisation’s anti-dam solidarity foot march reached Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Thursday.
Bagra, who is leading a 400-km march from Geku in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district to Itanagar, urged the government to engage in peaceful dialogue with affected communities and take their concerns over the project’s environmental and social implications into account.
The march, which began on November 4, entered North Lakhimpur on Thursday evening. Bagra was accompanied by 14 other participants.
Speaking to Northeast Now, Bagra alleged that the government is advancing the proposed project without adequately consulting local communities. He also raised concerns over the arrests of people opposing the dam and the ‘excessive’ deployment of security forces in the project-affected areas.
“Our demand is that the public should not be treated like this. The government must hold peaceful talks, withdraw all arrests, revoke the suspensions of our Gaon Burahs (village elders) and government employees, and pull back the security forces,” he said.
“The government should not do anything forcefully against the people. It should respect the opinion of the people of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” Bagra added.
The marchers are demanding the release of activists and demonstrators detained during earlier anti-dam protests, withdrawal of security forces from the proposed project areas and a halt to the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) process and related activities.
Bagra said indigenous communities in the proposed project area remaine apprehensive about the PFR process and its possible consequences. He urged the authorities to address their concerns through dialogue rather than coercive measures.
AGWS spokesperson Karge Basar, who is also participating in the march, expressed concern over the potential environmental impact of the proposed project. He said the government should take the solidarity march seriously, warning that elderly residents from six to seven villages in the Siang valley, including Riga, Komkar, Mariyang and Geku, might join the anti-dam demonstrations if their concerns continue to be ignored.
“The people of these villages are strongly opposed to losing their ancestral land. It is a deeply emotional and sentimental issue for them,” Basar said.
The march has passed through areas including Pasighat and Jonai before reaching Lakhimpur, drawing local participation and highlighting concerns among indigenous communities set to be affected by the proposed project.
The protesters resumed their journey from North Lakhimpur at 8 am on Friday towards Harmutty and are scheduled to reach Itanagar on Sunday.