[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 25 Jun: Youths of different villages in Upper Siang district, under the banner of the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA), have raised question over the conduct and functions of the Adi Bane Kebang (Apex) and its allied organisations.
The youth body members said they are disappointed that the ABK and its wing organisations are not addressing major problems faced by the Adi community living in the state. “Moreover, the ABK and its allies are not maintaining any coordination at the time of crisis in terms of survival and protection of ethnic identity and culture of the tribe,” the SAAYA said.
SAAYA organisers, led by their president Geni Nangkar, general secretary Bikunam Modi, and others, addressed the media in Yingkiong in Upper Siang district on Wednesday, lamenting that the ABK and other ethic Adi organisations are not taking up the issues and grievances faced by the people in the Siang belt.
The youth association leaders alleged that ABK president Tanon Tatak and other leaders are “silently watching the sufferings of their community people in the belt, thereby playing an irresponsible role towards the community.”
Referring to the recent untoward incidents that took place in Upper Siang district regarding signing of NOC pertaining to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), SAAYA leaders lamented that the ABK (Apex) and other Adi organisation leaders “have no reaction when government functionaries are forcefully collecting consent (NOC) from innocent villagers for implementing the controversial mega hydroelectric project.”
According to SAAYA leaders, villagers of Upper Siang district fear that the mega hydropower project will destroy their wild resources, cropland, and orchards – their only sources for survival – so they do not support survey works in the name of mega hydropower project in their area. They also vehemently criticised the role of their MLAs – Alo Libang (Yingkiong) and Oni Panyang (Mariyang-Geku) – in this regard.
As per information, the SAAYA has accumulated local youths from five villages under its umbrella and is working to win support from youths of the remaining villages in the district. The association has pledged to take up problems faced by the community people residing in the Siang belt.
On the other hand, leading Adi citizens of East Siang district assembled in a consultative meeting on 20 June and gathered consensus on the need for reunion of Adi people “during the crisis.” The meeting unanimously decided to organise a public referendum rally in Pasighat in East Siang district on 28 June, and invited all sections of Adi people living in the state to join the rally.
A ‘convener committee’ was formed during the meeting, with retired SP Opir Paron as organising president, public leader Tamat Gamoh as vice president, and Thomas Borang as organising secretary.
