At least four women were injured in a clash between police and protesters opposing the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, October 23.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd during a 12-hour bandh across Siang, Upper Siang and parts of East Siang districts.
The confrontation took place at Dite-Dime near Geku in Siang district, where around 150–200 protesters gathered in support of the shutdown.
According to police, the protesters attempted to breach barricades, pelt security personnel with stones and damage police vehicles.
Kamdam Sikhom, Superintendent of Police, Siang said protesters from the Geku and Komkar areas of Upper Siang district assembled at the site around 7 am.
He said the crowd attempted to vandalise barricades and violated prohibitory orders, prompting police to take action in the presence of an executive magistrate.
Another police officer confirmed that four women were injured and admitted to a hospital. Protesters, however, claimed that several people were hit by tear gas shells and experienced breathing difficulties.
The bandh disrupted normal life across the affected areas, with shops and business establishments remaining shut and residents largely staying indoors.
Officials said the shutdown was peaceful in other parts of Siang and Upper Siang districts.
PROTESTERS DEMAND RELEASE OF ACTIVISTS
The bandh was jointly called by Adi Bane Kebang United, SUMP Affected Area Youth Association, Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum Youth Wing and Adi Galo Welfare Society.
The organisations demanded the release of arrested activists, reinstatement of suspended gaon buras (village headmen), withdrawal of pre-feasibility activities for the project and removal of paramilitary and central security forces deployed in the region.
The number of activists whose release has been demanded varies across the accounts provided. The protest organisers have also raised concerns over the impact of the project on local communities, land, livelihoods and the environment.
CM PEMA KHANDU URGES PEOPLE TO SUPPORT PROJECT ASSESSMENT
Amid the protests, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu urged residents to support the preparation of the project's Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Khandu called on residents of the Siang belt to seek information from the state government and its leadership rather than resorting to violence.
The project has been described by the government as a strategic initiative intended to help regulate water flows in the Siang basin.
The government has also linked the project's strategic importance to China's proposed mega hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. The proposed SUMP is intended to have a capacity of around 11,200 MW, although some reports have cited a figure of 11,500 MW.
CONGRESS SEEKS HALT TO SURVEYS
The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), led by former MP Takam Sanjoy, has opposed the proposed project and called for a temporary halt to field surveys for the Pre-Feasibility Report.
The party has demanded the withdrawal of security forces from affected areas, the release of detained Adi social activists, withdrawal of FIRs against protesters and revocation of punitive action against dissenting village heads and government employees.
The Congress has also questioned the proposed Rs 350-crore Special Development Package, arguing that development measures should build trust with affected communities rather than be used to secure consent for the project.
While acknowledging concerns over China's upstream hydropower plans, the party has maintained that national security considerations should not override local consultation and indigenous rights.
The competing positions have intensified the debate over the proposed project, with the government stressing its strategic importance and opponents seeking greater consultation, protection of local interests and a halt to preparatory activities.
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With inputs from Yuvraj Mehta