Arunachal dawn-to-dusk shutdown over Siang dam protests ends peacefully, security tightened in Itanagar

A 12-hour shutdown called by the People's Rights Action Committee (PRAC) in Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) on Wednesday, November 4 received a mixed response, with shops and commercial establishments remaining closed while government offices continued to function and vehicles plied on the roads amid heightened security arrangements.

The shutdown was called to demand the release of people arrested or detained in connection with the October 23 protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Siang, East Siang and Upper Siang districts.

The protesters also demanded the withdrawal of security forces deployed in the project-affected areas, revocation of suspension orders issued against 'Gaonburas' (village headmen), and an immediate halt to survey activities being undertaken for the preparation of the project's Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR).

In addition to the demands linked to the proposed hydropower project, PRAC raised several civic and public welfare concerns, including the maintenance of roads across the capital region, availability of essential medicines and improvement of ambulance services.

Police said the shutdown remained peaceful, with no law-and-order problems or untoward incidents reported during the day.

"Around 30 protesters attempted to march from Bage Tinali near Nirjuli towards Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar, but they were dispersed by police personnel," a police official from the Itanagar Capital Region (Naharlagun) said.

Additional security personnel were deployed at sensitive locations, including the Civil Secretariat and Lok Bhavan, as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident.

Despite the continued movement of vehicles, roads across the capital region remained largely deserted, police said. Shops and commercial establishments remained shut during the shutdown, which began in the morning and concluded in the evening.

Meanwhile, the Adi Galo Welfare Society on Wednesday launched a foot march from Geku in Upper Siang district towards Itanagar to protest against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, planned on the Siang River.

The organisation is demanding the immediate withdrawal of paramilitary and Central Armed Police Forces personnel deployed in villages falling within the proposed project area. It has also called for the lawful and unconditional release of people arrested or detained in connection with the recent anti-dam protests and clashes.

The shutdown and the foot march come amid continuing opposition to the proposed mega hydropower project in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, particularly over concerns surrounding the deployment of security forces, arrests linked to the protests and the proposed survey activities.

The October 23 violence in Pasighat, which followed protests against the project, had raised tensions in the region, with opposition to the proposed dam increasingly centred on the demands of affected communities and the government's handling of the project.