ITANAGAR, 27 May: Lobsang Gyatso, former general secretary of the Save Mon Region Forum (SMRF) and an anti-dam activist, has urged Chief Minister Pema Khandu to initiate a dialogue with the people of the Siang valley, who are opposed to the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel for the pre-feasibility report (PFR) survey of the proposed 12,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
In a video message sent to this daily, Gyatso emphasized that the forceful deployment of CAPF personnel should be immediately halted, and the government should engage in prior discussions with all stakeholders set to be affected by the SUMP.
He urged the CM to withdraw the forces from the region and start peaceful negotiations with the villagers.
SMRF, a Tawang-based organization led by monks, has previously opposed large hydropower projects in Tawang district.
In May 2016, two protesters against large dams were killed in police firing.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS), while referring to the protests by villagers in Siang valley against the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel for the pre-feasibility report (PFR) survey for the proposed 12,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), has said that the state government should build trust and gain the confidence of local inhabitants in all developmental processes to ensure a peaceful society.
The forceful imposition of laws upon citizens without consultation and their consent is counterproductive and should be avoided, APWWS president Kani Nada Maling stated in a release.
“The state government should understand that these local inhabitants are their own people and should refrain from playing with their emotions. They should take steps that bring peace to society, rather than unrest,” Maling said, following reports of unrest in the region against the deployment.
