Arunachal youth body calls shutdown in three districts over arrests linked to Siang dam protests

The SUMP Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA) has called for a shutdown across three districts of Arunachal Pradesh on November 2 to protest the arrest of people opposing the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

The shutdown will cover Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts. SAAYA has also written to the Bogum Bokang Welfare Society (BBWS), which represents the Bogum Bokang-Tuting area, seeking its support for the protest.

In a letter addressed to the BBWS president, SAAYA said an emergency executive meeting held on October 29, attended by representatives of affected villages, unanimously decided to organise the shutdown in coordination with the Siang Indigenous Farmer Forum (SIFF), other community-based organisations, youth groups and affected residents.

The association said the protest was against the arrests of people involved in the movement opposing the alleged forced survey and deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel in the project-affected areas.

Describing the arrests as an attempt to silence indigenous communities, SAAYA urged BBWS to extend its support and help ensure that the agitation remained peaceful and democratic.

The association said the movement was aimed at protecting ancestral land, the Siang River and the interests of future generations, adding that the issue was closely linked to the preservation of Adi identity and traditional ways of life.

The shutdown call comes amid growing opposition to the proposed hydropower project, which is planned on the Siang River and is expected to generate 11,200 MW of electricity.

The project, envisioned as one of India's largest hydropower initiatives, has faced resistance from sections of the indigenous Adi community over concerns about displacement, submergence of villages, loss of agricultural land and forests, and disruption of traditional livelihoods.

According to reports, 27 villages could face submergence, while several dozen others may be affected by the project.

The project has also acquired strategic importance for the Centre amid China's plans to build a massive hydropower facility on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which flows into India as the Siang.

Tensions in the region escalated in September and October as opposition grew to the proposed pre-feasibility report (PFR) surveys. Protesters objected to the deployment of security personnel to facilitate survey activities, maintaining that the affected communities had not consented to the exercise.

The situation worsened following incidents of violence during protests, including attacks on vehicles and public property. The administration subsequently initiated arrests and preventive detentions and increased security deployment in the region.

On October 11, the Upper Siang district administration imposed prohibitory restrictions on public gatherings amid the unrest.

Several organisations have since demanded the release of detained activists, withdrawal of security personnel and suspension of survey activities.

The state government, however, has maintained that the ongoing exercise is only a preliminary feasibility assessment and does not amount to a final decision to construct the dam.

The Centre had also informed Parliament in August 2024 that the project was at the preliminary investigation stage and would require environmental clearances before construction could begin.

SAAYA's shutdown call marks another escalation in the opposition, with community organisations seeking to bring together residents across the three districts against the proposed project.