ITANAGAR, Oct 6: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has urged the State Government to de-escalate tensions in the Siang and Upper Siang regions over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and initiate dialogue with affected communities and other stakeholders.
The APCC's call came following Sunday’s violence at Ugeng in Siang district, where several security personnel, including a senior CRPF officer in the rank of Assistant Commandant, were injured and property was damaged during a confrontation at one of the proposed SUMP Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) survey sites and the Ugeng village entry point.
Addressing a press briefing here, APCC vice-president Tamchi Tahar said the issue concerned the land, livelihoods, environment, identity and future of the people of the Siang region and should not be reduced to a law-and-order or security issue.
The APCC condemned what it described as the reported lathi-charge and physical confrontation between paramilitary personnel and people from SUMP-affected areas, saying the peaceful Siang belt should not be turned into a zone of confrontation.
“Development cannot be imposed through force, intimidation or excessive deployment of security forces. The Government must listen to its people, not confront them,” Tahar said.
The party said democratic dissent and opposition to a project should not be treated as lawlessness or an internal security threat. It called for meaningful consultations on concerns relating to land acquisition, displacement, environmental impact, rehabilitation, compensation and the long-term implications of SUMP.
The APCC demanded immediate de-escalation of the situation and restoration of peace in the affected areas. It also called for a review and rationalisation of the deployment of paramilitary forces and urged the government to ensure that peaceful protesters and villagers were not subjected to force.
The party further sought immediate and inclusive dialogue involving affected communities, village elders, public representatives and other stakeholders. It demanded that peaceful citizens exercising their democratic rights should not face intimidation, arbitrary arrest or coercive action.
The APCC also called for major project-related activities to be put on hold until meaningful consultations and comprehensive assessments of the social and environmental impacts are completed. It sought public disclosure of relevant SUMP project documents and impact assessments.
The party maintained that the people of Siang were not opposed to development but were stakeholders in the development process and had the right to question a project with potential implications for their land, rivers, ecology, livelihoods and culture.
“The Government must abandon the approach of ‘force first and dialogue later’ and immediately bring all stakeholders to the negotiating table,” said the APCC, calling for peace, dialogue and development based on the participation and confidence of the people rather than confrontation between the state and citizens.