Congress questions RAF deployment amid Arunachal dam protests; 26 arrested in Pasighat, violence spreads to Upper Subansiri
Congress warned that increasing security deployment without addressing the underlying grievances could deepen tensions across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang.
Violent protests erupted in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday over a proposed hydroelectric project, forcing the town of Daporijo into a 12-hour general strike. The Upper Subansiri hydroelectric plant, or Menga Dam project, was the focal point of the demonstrators' anger. Protests had been escalating over concerns about mass displacement, loss of ancestral land, ecological damage, and seismic risks.
Tensions reached a boiling point, resulting in further violence. At least one police vehicle was damaged, and a police constable was injured, according to local reports. Supporters of the strike also allegedly set fire to office equipment belonging to India's flagship hydroelectric power generation company. Local police conducted a peaceful flag march in an attempt to quell the unrest.
In Taliha village, residents strongly opposed the Menga Dam project and related land assessments, blocking a bridge to disrupt passage. Earlier this week, similar protests in the village of Pasighat over a larger, 11,000-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) also turned violent, with demonstrators setting buildings and vehicles ablaze and police having to use tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, India's top court prepared to hear petitions challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities and decisions related to the controversial revision of electoral rolls.
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