Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, 14 Sep: Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) spokesperson Tagori Mize condemned the state government for deploying security forces to facilitate conducting of activities to prepare the pre-feasibility report (PFR) for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

Addressing mediapersons at the Arunachal Press Club here on Monday, Mize highlighted the present situation regarding the PFR and the sentiments of the project-affected families of the area. He claimed that the project-affected families are opposing the project and have written, along with all relevant documents, to Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) president Tanom Tatak, "as the parent body of the Adi community, so that the ABK would take up the grievances of the affected families of the SUMP with the state government with two demands: withdrawal of security forces from the villages, and revocation of all suspension orders of gaon buras of the Adi community in connection with the SUMP issue."

But the ABK has failed to communicate the matter to the state government and has failed to help its community members, Mize said.

He said that, in connection with the proposed SUMP, there is misunderstanding and infighting among the project-affected families within the villages, and there are also law and order problems in the villages, but there has been no response from the ABK or the state government. He expressed unhappiness over the ABK president's failure to help his own community,and demanded his resignation on moral grounds.

"We, the SIFF, strongly condemn the state government for its forceful activities on SUMP," Mize said, alleging that the deployment of security forces to conduct the PFR for the proposed SUMP is a provocative activity. He said the move of the government is undemocratic and condemnable, "and it proves that the state has failed to convince the project-affected families of the SUMP."