The Adi Ba Kebang United (ABKU), a leading organisation representing the Adi community in Arunachal Pradesh, has set four conditions for holding discussions with the state government over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). The organisation has demanded the release of all people detained during the anti-dam agitation, withdrawal of police cases against protesters, removal of central armed forces from the Siang Valley and reinstatement of village buras who were dismissed from government service.
The demands were formally placed before the Arunachal Pradesh government on Friday through a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu. ABKU president DG Tamuk and general secretary Jirbo Jamoh submitted the memorandum in response to an invitation from the Chief Minister’s Office for discussions on the SUMP issue, which was extended on November 10.
While expressing its willingness to engage in dialogue with the government, the organisation has sought fulfilment of all four demands within 48 hours. It has also proposed Pasighat as the venue for the proposed discussions.
Speaking to the media, Tamuk said the demands must be addressed before any dialogue can take place. He called for the immediate release of everyone detained in connection with the anti-dam agitation, particularly students, and demanded the withdrawal of FIRs registered against protesters.
The ABKU president also insisted that central armed forces deployed in the Siang Valley be withdrawn and that village buras removed from government service be reinstated.
“Until the government fulfils our demands, there is no question of holding talks,” Tamuk said, adding that the community was fighting to protect its land, homes and livelihood.
He warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to accept the demands. Reiterating the organisation’s position on the proposed project, he said its slogan was, “No Dam, No FIR.”
The organisation’s opposition is centred on the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which has raised concerns among sections of the indigenous population over its possible impact on settlements, traditional land ownership and livelihoods in the Siang Valley.
Tamuk claimed that around 27 villages and nearly 1.5 lakh people could be affected by the project. He questioned how the affected population would be rehabilitated if residents were compelled to leave their ancestral land, agricultural fields and traditional heritage.
He said agriculture and horticulture remained the primary sources of livelihood for a large section of the population in the Siang Valley. The region also plays an important role in fruit production, and any major displacement, he argued, could affect the area’s agricultural economy and traditional way of life.
According to Tamuk, the impact of the proposed project would extend beyond the loss of residential areas, potentially disrupting the region’s existing economic and social systems. He expressed concern over the future of communities whose livelihoods and cultural practices are closely linked to their ancestral land.
The ABKU president also appealed to organisations and people in Assam to extend support to the movement against the proposed project. He claimed that the consequences of the dam could extend beyond the Siang Valley, affecting downstream areas of Assam and other regions.
With the organisation making the fulfilment of its demands a precondition for dialogue, the proposed discussions between the Arunachal Pradesh government and community representatives remain linked to the resolution of the issues raised by the anti-SUMP movement.
