Arunachal Congress seeks review of RAF deployment in SUMP areas

CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday demanded a review and substantial reduction of the reported deployment of 250 additional Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel in areas affected by the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), alleging that the state government was relying on force instead of addressing public concerns.

In a statement, the opposition party called for dialogue with affected communities, suspension of pre-feasibility surveys until meaningful consultations were held, and an impartial inquiry into the reported use of tear gas against civilians during the recent 12-hour bandh.

The Congress said villagers, farmers, youths and indigenous communities had raised concerns over ancestral land, customary rights, livelihoods, environmental and seismic risks, displacement and the future of the Siang River.

It also sought clarification on assurances reportedly given by Chief Minister Pema Khandu during a meeting with Adi youths, including which commitments had been fulfilled and which remained pending.

While condemning violence, arson and damage to public and private property, the APCC called for legal action against those responsible without suppressing legitimate dissent. It also demanded the release of detained youths wherever continued detention was not legally justified and a review of protest-related FIRs and allegations of arbitrary arrests.

The party sought details of the necessity, mandate and duration of the additional RAF deployment, warning that an expanded security presence could aggravate tensions. It also demanded transparent disclosure of the project's environmental, seismic, social and livelihood implications, along with safeguards for indigenous land and community rights.

The APCC further sought details of the guidelines, eligibility criteria, beneficiary lists and implementation status of the reported Rs 350-crore Special Development and Livelihood Package.

Calling for time-bound discussions with the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum, Adi Bane Kebang Union, Siang Area Youth Association, village elders and traditional institutions, the party urged the government to provide written commitments and ensure follow-up action. The demands followed violence during the recent bandh in Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts, during which an NHPC office and a police station were reportedly set ablaze and other properties damaged. The Congress said the government needed to address the causes of the unrest through transparency, accountability and meaningful public participation, adding that affected communities should be treated as stakeholders in decisions concerning their land, rivers, livelihoods and cultural identity.

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