Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 13 Dec: In an absolute show of state coercion, the government has decided to deploy hundreds of both Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) as well as state armed police to deter people from protesting against the study for pre-feasibility report of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s (NHPC) 11,000 mw Siang upper multipurpose project (SUMP).
In a letter written to the deputy commissioners of the three Siang districts – Upper, East Siang and Siang -the home secretary has requested for providing requisite accommodation and logistic facilities for force deployment, which includes women police personnel, tentatively by 15 December.
In Upper Siang district, one company of CAPF each will be deployed in Geku, Uggeng and Jengging,with one platoon of women police in Geku and Jengging and one platoon of state police in Yingkiong.
The proposed deployment in Siang district is five companies, with two companies in Begging, two in Parong village, and one in Boleng NHPC office,while one company of state police will be deployed in Boleng HQ. A platoon each of women police will be posted at the NHPC office in Boleng, Boleng HQ, and Parong village.
The request for accommodation came soon after the deputy commissioner of Siang district on 6 December wrote to an officer, seeking arrangement of accommodation for the CAPF personnel to be deployed in Riew village for the purpose of conducting the study.
The villagers, led by the head gaon burah, have since said that they will not provide accommodation to the forces and they are against deployment of force.
Several groups and individuals, including the Northeast Human Rights and the Arunachal Democratic Party, have opposed the decision to deploy security in the area without the consent of the people.
