In a surprising move, National Socialist Council of Taniland, now known as United Tani Army (UTA), issued a statement recently, seeking quashing of all the MoUs and MoAs signed with hydropower developers to construct mega dams in the state. The group, after a long hiatus, shocked everyone by issuing a very powerful statement against mega dams. The timing of the statement is interesting as it comes when the dam issue has become a hot topic in the state. The Siang hydropower project has deeply divided the opinion of the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
While the government is pushing for it, a large section of the affected people is strongly opposing its construction. It looks like the so-called UTA is trying to tap into the anger and frustration of the affected people. The security agencies will definitely look into this angle. The National Socialist Council of Taniland was active almost a decade ago. Many of its operatives were arrested for being involved in extortion activities in the state. The state police did a commendable job in breaking the group. Most of its operatives and leadership had stopped the activities and had joined the mainstream. Therefore it is quite shocking to see them regroup under the new name of United Tani Army. The authorities should look it seriously.