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OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: The Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum Youth Wing (SIFFYW) has announced a complete boycott of talks with the Arunachal Pradesh government on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), setting four conditions for resuming dialogue.
The announcement came ahead of Chief Minister Pema Khandu's scheduled meeting with two prominent Adi organisations on October 13 to discuss concerns over the proposed hydropower project.
In a statement on Saturday, SIFFYW alleged that villagers and activists opposing the project had faced arbitrary arrests and imprisonment. It demanded the immediate withdrawal of Central Armed Police Forces personnel from traditional villages and lands in the Siang region, the unconditional withdrawal of FIRs and legal proceedings against anti-dam protesters, the safe release of all community members in custody, and full compensation for those allegedly injured during security operations and for damage to private vehicles and village properties.
The forum said no negotiations or consultations on SUMP should take place until all four demands were met. It also urged community bodies, student unions, clan representatives and political leaders to stay away from government-sponsored consultations, warning that those who participated would be held responsible for the consequences. SIFFYW legal adviser Ebo Mili questioned the proposed meeting, saying the future of the Adi community could not be decided while security forces remained deployed in the region. He said the Chief Minister could meet Adi organisations on other issues, but discussions on SUMP should remain off the table until the protesters' demands were addressed. According to a notice issued by the Chief Minister's Office on October 9, the meeting is scheduled for October 13 at Khandu's office in Niti Vihar.
