ITANAGAR, Nov 1: All Arunachal Pradesh youths and students detained by Delhi Police during a protest against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) have been released following the intervention of senior Congress leaders.
Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bosiram Siram, along with AICC in-charges of Arunachal Pradesh Dr A Chellakumar and advocate Mathew Antony, personally visited Chanakyapuri Police Station after receiving information about the detentions and intervened with the police authorities to secure their release.
Around 40 youths and students from Arunachal Pradesh, who had travelled to the national capital to register their opposition to the proposed mega dam project on the Siang river, were reportedly detained and kept at three different police stations across Delhi.
The intervention of the Congress leaders facilitated the release of all the detained protesters, bringing relief to the youths and their families.
Reacting to the development, Siram said the voices of the people of Arunachal Pradesh must not be ignored and asserted that the right to peaceful protest and democratic expression must be respected. He said young people should have the freedom to raise concerns over issues affecting their land, identity, livelihood, environment and future.
The protesters had travelled to Delhi to draw national attention to the concerns of indigenous communities over the proposed SUMP, particularly its potential environmental impact, displacement, indigenous rights and livelihood security.
Reiterating the APCC's position, Siram said projects with far-reaching implications for the people and ecology of the state must be subjected to serious, transparent and democratic consideration. Development, he maintained, should not come at the cost of disregarding the concerns, consent and aspirations of indigenous communities.
APCC said it would continue to raise the concerns of the people through democratic and constitutional means, adding that the release of the protesters had brought immediate relief but the larger questions surrounding the proposed project remained unresolved.