DOIMUKH, 27 Oct: The People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) has urged the state government to withdraw Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) from the Siang region and release all anti-dam protesters arrested in connection with the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

PPA president and MLA Nabam Vivek, while addressing the media here on Tuesday, said the situation in the Siang region is going out of the government's control.

"Without public support, hydropower projects cannot be implemented. You cannot take up a hydropower project anywhere by using paramilitary forces. The state government should first withdraw the forces, release all arrested anti-dam protesters and then go back to the ground to speak to the villagers and build confidence," Vivek said.

He warned that the distance between the public and the government would widen if the pre-feasibility report (PFR) is prepared by force.

"Just for the PFR, there is so much resistance. Constructing a dam will be even more difficult. Now the government is using paramilitary forces. Will it deploy the Army tomorrow? Such forceful imposition will widen the differences and deepen mistrust. A huge project like the SUMP cannot be executed by crushing the public voice and running misinformation campaigns," he added.

Vivek also appealed to the anti-dam protesters not to resort to violence.

"Violence should be avoided. Damage to public property and violent protests will only cause losses to the entire state," he said.

Drawing on his experience with the 100-MW Pare Hydropower Project while serving as a zilla parishad member (ZPM) from Doimukh, Vivek urged the government to first win the confidence of the affected people.

"I was a ZPM when the Pare project was being implemented. Ours was a small project, but we had a difficult time convincing people and had to make a lot of effort. The state government should first try to convince the people who will actually be affected," Vivek said.

He said also that, although the PPA is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), it does not mean it would support the suppression of public voices to implement the SUMP.

"Last year, I visited the SUMP-affected areas and spoke to the people. The sentiment among the people is clear. Right now, they are not convinced by the argument that the SUMP is a project of national importance. They do not want to part with their ancestral land," he added.

The PPA president said the concerns of the Adi community over the SUMP should be addressed seriously.

"An entire civilisation will be lost because of the SUMP, and that is a fact. Simply speaking to Adi officers and students' unions will not convince people to agree to the project. The government should come up with a blueprint and then hold discussions with the affected people," Vivek said.