Itanagar: Prominent Ladakh-based climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk has written an urgent letter to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her immediate intervention to resolve growing tensions in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang Valley. The region has been gripped by intense protests and escalating friction following local opposition to the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
In his letter, issued through the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), Wangchuk drew strong parallels between the current resistance in Northeast India and Ladakh's ongoing fight for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.
He shared the common distress of border communities, stating that he understands the pain of residents when life-altering decisions are imposed from above without meaningful local consultation.
Addressing the President directly, he highlighted her unique position as a leader from an indigenous tribal community who deeply understands that nature is "a mother to be protected, not merely a resource to be exploited".
Expressing grave concern over reports of heavy security deployments, restrictions on movement, and the detention of youth, Wangchuk strongly criticized attempts by certain quarters to brand the protesting Adi tribe and local groups as "anti-national" or "foreign-funded".
He argued that communities living along India's strategic borders must be embraced as trusted partners in national security and nation-building rather than being viewed as suspects for defending their ancestral lands.
Citing the catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim’s Teesta basin, he warned that massive, interventionist infrastructure projects present severe threats to the highly fragile and seismically active Himalayan ecosystem.
To restore peace and safeguard local rights, Wangchuk submitted a focused four-point memorandum requesting the President to facilitate the immediate pullback of paramilitary forces from civilian zones and the unconditional release of detained activists.
He further urged the Centre to halt all coercive field surveys until explicit community consent is achieved, alongside conducting exhaustive, independent environmental and seismic impact reviews.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu clarified that neither the Centre nor the state government has finalised a decision to construct the mega-dam.
He assured the public that current operations are strictly confined to generating a pre-feasibility report, emphasizing that no definitive project steps will ever advance without transparency, community dialogue, and the clear consent of the local population