ITANAGAR, Sep 15: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday opposed the heavy deployment of security forces in Siang and Upper Siang districts for survey, drilling and preliminary feasibility report (PFR) for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), saying development cannot be brought about by using force against local communities.
APCC spokesperson Johny Yangfo, in a statement, questioned the need for such a heavy security presence if the proposed project genuinely enjoys the confidence and acceptance of the affected people.
He said security forces could be deployed to control a situation but could not be used to win the trust of the people.
"Consent cannot be manufactured under the shadow of guns, administrative pressure or financial inducement," Yangfo said.
Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu said the deployment of security forces was to prevent any untoward incident during the PFR work, while his Upper Siang counterpart Talo Jerang could not be contacted despite several attempts.
The Congress said the people of the Siang region were not opposed to development but had legitimate concerns relating to land, livelihood, displacement, forests, biodiversity, cultural heritage, river ecology and seismic vulnerability.
It said Siang was the ancestral homeland of indigenous communities and should not be treated merely as a resource zone for generating power.
The proposed SUMP, with an estimated capacity of around 11,200 MW is a project of enormous scale and could significantly contribute to hydropower generation in Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeast.
However, the project has faced protests and opposition from sections of local communities and civil society groups over concerns relating to possible displacement, impact on forests, river ecology, cultural heritage, besides seismic risks.
The Congress said the protests surrounding the SUMP highlighted the need for greater transparency and wider consultation rather than increased deployment of security personnel.
It maintained that a project of such magnitude required independent scientific scrutiny and meaningful participation of the affected communities before any irreversible decisions were taken.
The APCC demanded the immediate withdrawal of what it termed as "excessive deployment" of central armed police forces and other security personnel from villages and project survey areas associated with the SUMP.
It also sought immediate suspension of coercive project-related activities until a genuine and transparent consultation process was completed.
No survey, investigation or project activity, it said, should be undertaken through force or intimidation.
The party urged the state government to initiate a structured, transparent and time-bound dialogue with affected indigenous communities, village institutions, 'kebangs' (village council), civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
It further demanded an independent and comprehensive environmental, social, cultural, geological and seismic impact assessment by credible experts before any further irreversible decision was taken.
"The final decision on such a transformational project must not be taken without the informed participation and democratic confidence of the people who will bear its consequences," the party said.
It reiterated that it was not against development or responsible hydropower generation but opposed any development model that "sacrificed people, ecology, culture and democratic rights in the pursuit of megawatts".
"Siang is not a battlefield. Its people are not adversaries. They are citizens, not subjects. Development must win the hearts and confidence of the people, not enter their villages under the protection of guns," it added. (PTI)