OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Members of several organisations staged a peaceful solidarity rally in Itanagar on Thursday, demanding the release of protesters detained during the ongoing agitation against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
The demonstrators, including members of Indigenous of Siang and Youth for Change, also demanded the withdrawal of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary personnel deployed in dam-affected areas of the Siang region.
Participants raised concerns over the proposed 11,200-MW hydropower project and its potential impact on indigenous communities, calling for the protection of rivers, ancestral land, traditional livelihoods and indigenous identity.
The rally came amid tensions following recent incidents of unrest in Pasighat in East Siang district and Geku in Upper Siang district over the project. The organisations called for a peaceful resolution but maintained that talks with Chief Minister Pema Khandu could not take place until the detained protesters were released and paramilitary forces withdrawn.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has maintained that the project is important for water security, flood moderation and hydropower generation, while urging the protesting groups to engage in dialogue.
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