Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 23 Oct: At least six women were injured after police fired tear gas shells in Dite-Dime near Geku in Upper Siang district during Friday's 12-hour bandh against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
The shutdown was heavily enforced across Siang, Upper Siang, and parts of East Siang district. Protesters reported that several individuals were hit directly by the canisters and experienced severe breathing difficulties.
The bandh was jointly called by the Adi Bane Kebang (United), the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association, the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum Youth Wing, and the Adi Galo Welfare Society. These organisations are demanding immediate release of 10 arrested activists, the reinstatement of suspended gaon buras, the total withdrawal of all pre-feasibility survey activities, and the removal of paramilitary and central forces deployed in the region.
Siang SP Kamdam Sikom stated that around 150 to 200 protesters from the Geku and Komkar areas in Upper Siang district gathered at Dite-Dime in Siang at around 7 am in support of the shutdown. The SP added that lawful action was initiated against them in the presence of the executive magistrate. Another official confirmed that security forces had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Violence was also reported in Pasighat, where police deployed tear gas against youth demonstrators opposing the hydro project. The clashes resulted in damage to police vehicles. In one widely circulated video, tear gas canisters were suddenly fired at protesters while they were actively speaking to the crowd.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) strongly condemned the use of tear gas by security personnel against the indigenous protesters. The party demanded an independent and impartial inquiry into the incident to fix accountability where unlawful or excessive force is established.
The party stated that the incident is deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the state government's handling of public dissent and its response to the legitimate concerns of communities affected by the proposed mega dam.
The APCC added that the bandh was enforced to protest unfulfilled assurances regarding the release of detained youths, the reduction of security forces, and the suspension of the ongoing pre-feasibility report survey activities.
The Congress party demanded that the chief minister explain why these previous commitments remain unfulfilled while confrontations continue on the ground. Promises without action deepen public distrust, and force cannot manufacture consent, the party stated. It urged the BJP-led government to take responsibility, halt further survey activities, and engage in an immediate dialogue involving the forum, affected families, village elders, and customary institutions.
The APCC reiterated that development cannot be imposed at the cost of public trust and legal safeguards, adding that the people of Siang are exercising their democratic right to protect their land, livelihoods, and cultural identity. The party also demanded immediate medical assistance for those injured and a written, time-bound commitment from the state government addressing the grievances of the affected communities.
