ITANAGAR, Sep 24: Former chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Gegong Apang, has expressed serious concern over the recent actions of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the Government of India in proceeding with activities related to the pre-feasibility report (PFR) survey for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

In a statement, Apang said that the recent actions of the Government of India and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh on the ground reflect an anti-people attitude towards the citizens living along the Siang River. He stated that the governments appear to have decided to push the residents out of the area and turn them into refugees. He questioned whether the political leaders of the state, especially those elected from the Siang area, are concerned about the future and the protection of their native land from the destruction caused by dam construction.

Apang called upon the elected representatives to appear before the agitating public of the Geku and Komkar areas. He demanded they explain how they will protect the people, their history, and their heritage once the mega dam creates a massive reservoir that submerges most of the critical areas along the Siang River.

Furthermore, he warned that in the event of a major earthquake or a massive flood, the mega dam could break, leading to the complete destruction of the Siang valley alongside the entire Brahmaputra valley of Assam. He noted that the recent devastating floods in Assam and Nepal have already proved that playing with nature can be highly dangerous to mankind.

He condemned the way the government is allegedly cheating simple, innocent citizens along the Siang riverine area whose land is being sought for acquisition to construct the dam. Apang stated that the government is deploying a large number of police and paramilitary personnel near the protest site to intimidate the public, even though the protests are being carried out peacefully. He added that the government is refusing to listen to the voice of the people.

"They have decided that they will build the dam by using force on the indigenous people. They have no regard for the Constitution of India," Apang said.

He also stated that the legal notices served to the Government of India and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh against the PFR activities and the proposed dam project have received no response. He remarked that this shows the government is adamant about carrying forward the interests of their political masters in Delhi, who he claimed are least concerned about the welfare of the poor people living along the Siang River.

Apang further alleged that the prime minister, the union home minister, and the union power minister are pretending to be unaware of the large number of people protesting against the proposed dam. He stated that Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein are leaving the people of the Siang valley, and the Adi community in particular, to suffer indefinitely and lose their ancestral homeland. He added that Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is keeping silent on the dam issue despite being expected to raise the voice of the people before the union government.

Apang said that it is a matter of shame that the member of Parliament representing the Siang area, Tapir Gao, is challenging the people by stating the Siang dam will be built at any cost. He also noted that several elected representatives from the Siang area, namely Ojing Tasing, Alo Libang, Oni Panyang, and Ninong Ering, are openly supporting the construction of the project. He warned that if the dam is built, posterity will never pardon these political leaders for contributing to the permanent damage of the indigenous inhabitants of the Siang valley and the Adi community.

Apang expressed regret that the political leaders he groomed for the future of the state have now decided to destroy the Siang valley civilisation.

He emphasised that the elected representatives must honour the customary laws and rights of the people. He stated that since Arunachal is a tribal state, the government cannot suppress these customary rights, asserting that the land along the Siang River belongs strictly to the indigenous tribal people and that the government has no right to go against their wishes.

The former chief minister concluded his statement by demanding an immediate halt to all PFR-related activities, the permanent cancellation of the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project proposal, and adequate compensation for the people who have faced harassment due to the situation created by the government in the Geku-Komkar area.