Itanagar, Sep 9: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has expressed strong resentment over the alleged denial of an appointment with Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, saying it was “deeply unfortunate” and raised questions about the treatment of the Opposition party.
In a statement, the APCC said it had formally sought an appointment through the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh on September 4 to submit a memorandum highlighting what it described as critical issues concerning the State. However, the party claimed that it received no response to its request.
The Congress said the memorandum contained six key demands concerning frontier security, infrastructure, constitutional safeguards and sustainable development in Arunachal Pradesh.
The first demand is the creation of an Arunachal Regiment to increase recruitment of local youth into the Armed Forces, strengthen the participation of Arunachalis in national defence and provide employment opportunities. The party also called for special recruitment drives in frontier districts and villages.
The APCC has further demanded a high-level all-party parliamentary and political delegation to Taksing and other vulnerable frontier areas to assess the ground situation concerning border communities, security forces, connectivity and essential services. It said national security and territorial integrity should remain above political differences.
On infrastructure, the party sought all-weather road connectivity to Taksing and other strategically sensitive frontier areas, besides improved healthcare, education, communication, emergency services and other essential facilities. It maintained that development of frontier areas was itself an important component of national security.
The APCC also called for full logistical support to security forces deployed along the difficult Himalayan frontier, including adequate manpower, equipment, specialised clothing, food, fuel, transportation, communication and medical facilities.
On constitutional safeguards, the party demanded a comprehensive amendment to Article 371H, seeking stronger protection for indigenous land, forests, water, customary practices, traditional institutions, cultural identity and natural resources. It said Arunachal Pradesh, being a predominantly tribal State with distinctive customary traditions and strategic importance, required an adequate constitutional framework to protect the interests of its indigenous people.
Regarding its sixth demand on hydropower development, the APCC said it welcomes scientifically and environmentally sustainable small and medium hydropower projects, particularly responsible run-of-the-river projects, and added that it was opposed to mega and big dam projects in the State.
The party specifically opposed the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), which it said was reportedly envisaged with a capacity of 11,200 MW and a dam height of around 300 metres. It cited concerns over displacement, indigenous land and cultural heritage, ecological damage, seismic vulnerability, downstream disaster risks and cumulative impacts on the Siang basin.
The APCC demanded that efforts to push the project be stopped and called for an independent, transparent and comprehensive assessment of its seismic safety, environmental and cumulative basin-level impacts, displacement and rehabilitation requirements and downstream disaster risks before any further decision.
“Arunachal Pradesh needs development, but not development at the cost of its people, rivers, forests, culture and ecological security,” the party said.
The APCC urged the Vice-President to take cognisance of the six demands and communicate them to the Government of India and the concerned ministries for time-bound action, including appropriate constitutional measures for amendment of Article 371H and a comprehensive review of mega dam proposals in Arunachal Pradesh.