Protests against the proposed 11,200-megawatt (MW) Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) turned violent in Pasighat, a town in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, on the evening of October 23.
Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, according to accounts from the gathering. The police reported stone-pelting, injuries to personnel and extensive damage to public and private property.
Indigenous organisations, including the Adi Bane Kebang United and the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, oppose the project over fears of losing ancestral lands, the displacement of villages and ecological damage in a seismically active, biodiverse part of the Himalayas.
The government argues that the project is a strategic response to China’s proposed 60,000MW Medog hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river. It says the SUMP would help regulate floods and safeguard India’s water security.
The violence marked an escalation in a youth-led mobilisation that had been building for days. Protesters had demanded a halt to survey work for the project’s pre-feasibility report (PFR), which involves preliminary technical, geological and hydrological assessments. They had also called for the release of activists and village residents detained in connection with the protests.
At least 10 people have been arrested since October 9; four of them have been detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014 (APUAPA).
By October 24, at least three first information reports (FIRs) had been registered and 15 people arrested or detained in connection with the violence, according to Hibu Tamang, an inspector-general of police.
Otul Jerang, a young resident of Pasighat who had taken part in the peaceful sit-in before the clashes, went to the Pasighat police station with the activist Ebo Mili. Jerang said the violence was not part of the movement’s agenda.
He said the mobilisation had been driven by public concerns over the proposed project and demands for the government to listen to local residents. Although emotions were running high, he said, the violence contradicted the principles underpinning the movement.
“I want to make it clear that the violence that took place was completely contrary to our movement’s ideology and objectives. We joined this movement with a clear purpose, and our stand has remained the same from the beginning,” Jerang said.
He said protesters had tried to restrain the crowd as tensions mounted. According to his account, the crowd became uncontrollable as emotions ran high, and resistance resumed when security forces returned after withdrawing from the area.
How a youth-led protest escalated in Pasighat
The mobilisation against the SUMP began with a consultative meeting in Pasighat on October 18, when young people gathered to discuss the proposed project and the pre-feasibility process.
On October 20, protesters marched from the Daying Ering School ground to Gandhi Chowk in Pasighat, voicing concerns about the project and demanding the release of detained activists and village residents. Organisers said the rally went ahead despite the district administration’s refusal to grant permission.
The mobilisation continued with a 24-hour sit-in at Miracle Ground, opposite IGJ Field, beginning at 2pm on October 22 and ending at about the same time the following day. Participants opposed the PFR process and called for the release of those detained in connection with the proposed project. They said they intended to keep the protest peaceful.
After the sit-in, protesters joined a 12-hour bandh called by the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA), Adi Bane Kebang Youth (ABKU) and the Adi Galo Welfare Society. The bandh began at 5am on October 23 and covered parts of East Siang, Upper Siang and Siang districts, including areas around Mebo and Ruksin.
Young protesters continued their demonstration at the Pasighat–Mebo–Mariyang tri-junction after the bandh began.
According to Tamang, the youth group had earlier staged a sit-in in the Mebo area for about 24 hours before entering Pasighat from the Mebo side at around 2pm on October 23. The group subsequently blocked the Pasighat–Boleng highway, preventing vehicles from passing.
Tamang said the bandh was scheduled to end at 5pm and that most participants had dispersed by then. The youth group, however, continued its sit-in on the highway.
Police said the situation deteriorated between 5pm and 6.30pm, as darkness fell. According to Tamang, a group of 200-300 people began throwing stones at police personnel and the magistrate. He said the police resorted to tear gas only after protesters allegedly refused to clear the highway.
Protesters offered a different account of how the clashes began. Some said they were preparing to disperse when they heard explosive sounds, followed by stone-pelting and the use of tear gas.
“Suddenly, some explosives went off, and after that, we also became somewhat disoriented. Then stones started raining from both sides. After that, the situation escalated,” one protester said.
Public buildings and private property damaged
The violence left government buildings and private property damaged across Pasighat. The office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) was set on fire, while part of the Pasighat police station was damaged, with some sections reportedly set alight.
The office of the Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) was vandalised. The residences of Oni Panyang, the Mariyang MLA, Ninong Ering, another MLA, and Kaling Moyong, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were also attacked and damaged.
Police said at least nine police vehicles were damaged, with some set on fire or targeted in arson attacks.
Tamang said the police had information and sources that could help identify those involved and that legal action would be taken under the relevant provisions of the law.
The violence has added urgency to questions about how the proposed project will be assessed and how local communities will be consulted.