Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 22 Sep: Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state capital to lay the foundation stones of two hydroelectric projects in Shi-Yomi district and other infrastructure projects, the Adi Students’ Union (AdiSU) enforced a 12-hour bandh in Siang and Upper Siang districts.
The protest, against the deployment of paramilitary forces in the two districts, started at 5 am and ended at 5 pm.
The bandh was supported by the AdiSU’s interstate and inter-district units and students union units based in Guwahati and Shillong.
According to Siang SP James Kabang Lego, around 500 protestors, mainly women, participated in the protest. He said that more than 250 were from Geku in Upper Siang, who staged a protest in Boleng and gheraoed the DC office.
The SP informed that the protestors demanded removal of illegal encroachment on government schools across Siang district, and protested against conducting activities to prepare the pre-feasibility report for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
No incident of violence was reported, the SP said.
The AdiSU had submitted representations over its demands against the SUMP to the state government on 25 August and 11 September, which evoked no response from the government.
The union has called for immediate withdrawal of unauthorised state officials reportedly stationed in Siang and Upper Siang districts.
The AdiSU in its representation also sought immediate revocation of the suspension order issued against the eight GBs and HGBs by the Siang deputy commissioner.
It stated that unless villagers from the 31 affected communities in Siang and Upper Siang districts are fully informed and convinced of the initiatives, there should be no preparation of a pre-feasibility report for the SUMP.
