OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday demanded the scrapping of the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and the immediate release of protesters arrested for opposing the dam on the Siang River.
In a statement, the APCC said no development project should come at the cost of indigenous communities' ancestral land, identity, culture and livelihoods. It stressed that the consent of people likely to be affected by the project was essential.
The party called on indigenous organisations, student unions, youth groups, civil society organisations and traditional institutions to unite against the project under the slogan, "Stop SUMP, Save Siang".
The Congress also expressed concern over the arrest of protesters, suspension of government employees and action against gaon buras (village headmen) who opposed the project.
It demanded the release of all arrested protesters, withdrawal of cases registered under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, revocation of suspension orders against government employees and withdrawal of cases against gaon buras.
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