| Staff REPORTER |
ITANAGAR, Sep 14: The Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) has condemned the state government’s deployment of security forces in connection with the pre-feasibility report (PFR) for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Pradesh Press Club here on Monday, SIFF spokesperson Tagori Mize highlighted the ongoing situation surrounding the PFR and the concerns of families likely to be affected by the proposed project.
Mize claimed that the project-affected families had opposed the project and submitted a representation, along with relevant documents, to Adi Baane Kebang (ABK) president Tanom Tatak, seeking the apex body of the Adi community’s intervention in taking up their grievances with the state government.
According to Mize, the affected families had raised two demands: withdrawal of security forces from the villages and revocation of all suspension orders issued against Adi community Gaon Buras in connection with the SUMP issue.
He alleged that the ABK had failed to communicate the grievances of the affected families to the state government and had not extended adequate support to the community members.
Mize further claimed that the SUMP issue had resulted in misunderstandings and conflicts among villagers, particularly among project-affected families, leading to law and order concerns in some villages. He alleged that neither the ABK nor the state government had taken adequate steps to address the concerns of the affected families.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the alleged failure of the ABK president to protect the interests of the community, Mize demanded that Tatak tender his resignation from the post on moral grounds.
The SIFF also strongly condemned what it described as the state government’s “forceful activities” in connection with the SUMP. Mize termed the deployment of security forces for the PFR a provocative and undemocratic move.
“This proves that the state government has failed to convince the project-affected families regarding the SUMP,” he said.