Skip to main content

Review Arunachal mega hydro project, stop repression of anti-dam activists: NAJAR writes to CM

Counterview Desk 
In a representation to Pema Khandu, Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh, several senior activists and legal experts belonging to the advocacy group National Alliance for Justice Accountability & Rights (NAJAR) have sought  review of mega hydro projects, even as asking him to stop repression against environment human eights defenders and indigenous people’s povements of the State. 
They especially took strong exception to the manner in which, on 8th July, 2024, advocate Ebo Mill and activist Dunge Apang were "arbitrarily detained and wrongfully restrained for more than 8 hours by the Itanagar Police" for suspecting that they would lead a campaign especially against the mega-dam project on Siang River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, which directly flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh.

Text: 

The National Alliance for Justice, Accountability & Rights (NAJAR), a collective of legal professionals across India, writes to you with an appeal to undertake an urgent review of the mega hydro power projects in ecologically fragile Arunachal Pradesh, which would have an adverse impact both on the environment as well as the rights and well-being of indigenous communities. We also urge your Govt to refrain from any form of repression on anti-dam, ecological justice activists, advocates and movements who are working in the long-term interests of the state. 
It is a matter of great concern that there have been multiple instances of detention of anti-dam activists. On 8th July, 2024, Advocate and Activist Ebo Mill and Dunge Apang were arbitrarily detained and wrongfully restrained for more than 8 hours by the Itanagar Police.  This is the second such detention of Ebo Mili, earlier one being on 12th August, 2023 when he was detained along with his brother Mejo Mihu for distributing pamphlets that conveyed messages against further dam projects and voiced public grievances. Their detentions have been a direct response to their protest against the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between the state government and hydropower public sector undertakings (PSUs) concerning twelve stalled hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh. NAJAR voices its strong protest against the unlawful detention of Advocate Ebo Mili and Dunge Apang and urges the authorities to respect their fundamental rights to free expression and peaceful protest. We stand in solidarity with those advocating for justice and environmental preservation. 
We also insist that the root cause be corrected and reversed – which is the construction of large hydro projects, unmindful of their serious irreversible harm to the environment and local communities. India is bound by its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and cannot proceed with a ‘development agenda’ which is contrary to them.  By these acts, the Government of India has gone back upon at least three of the SDGs (Goal No. 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities, Goal No. 13 – Climate Action, Goal No. 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). It has disregarded the serious concerns of the communities, it has criminalized peaceful protests and it has disregarded all reports about large dams causing long-term adverse impacts, especially in a fragile ecological zone. 
At the heart of the issue, is the need to safeguard the Siang River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, which directly flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh. In 2017, the Niti Aayog proposed a hydropower project along Siang, aiming to make it the ‘country’s largest hydropower’ with a capacity exceeding 10,000 megawatts. In furtherance of this, the NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) identified three potential sites viz., Uggeng, Ditte Dimme, and Parong, for preliminary feasibility assessments. These assessments involved drilling a 200-meter-deep hole to evaluate the strength of the rock surface. 
Thereafter, in 2023, NHPC attempted to conduct surveys in the proposed areas. However, the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) resisted and rejected the efforts of the NHPC by filing a police complaint, alleging that the NHPC survey team was operating in Parong without the consent of the local residents. In March 2023, over 1,500 residents from Adi farming communities, organized as SIFF protested against NHPC’s initiatives, demanding the rollback of the Corporate Social Responsibility funds allocated by NHPC to the district administration. Despite the strong resistance of the indigenous farmers, on 12th August, 2023, Mr. RK Singh, the Union Power Minister signed a Memorandum of Agreement with four major central public sector undertakings to undertake 13 hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh. 
Since early this year, the NHPC started trying to ‘garner’ local support for the mega-dam project. The corporation engaged in various outreach initiatives, including signing several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with different departments for development projects. These projects included upgrading schools, improving health centers, and constructing a multipurpose sports complex in Bolen. On 3rd March, NHPC also donated two Bolero vehicles to the Siang district administration as part of their community outreach.
On 22nd June, 2024, the Upper Siang District administration held a meeting with Panchayat members, village headmen from 12 villages, and the BJP MLA of Tunting yingkiong. During this meeting, the headmen were urged to permit the survey in the ‘national interest,’ citing the strategic importance of the dam and national security concerns. The village headmen strongly opposed the proposed project. Subsequently, on 8th July, 2024, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, along with Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Piyush Goyal, visited Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, for a meeting regarding the same. 
We are alarmed by the proposed 11,000 MW Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage Project, being considered of national importance
In July, 2024, Advocate and Activist Ebo Mili and Dunge Apang (legal advisor and Convenor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum respectively), were in preparation to hold a peaceful demonstration against the ongoing signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with hydropower companies in Arunachal Pradesh. SIFF, Dibang Resistance, and Northeast Human Rights (NEHR) intended to submit a representation to the Power Minister of India, expressing their grave concerns regarding the state's hydropower projects.
The representation reads:
“We implore the Government of India to reconsider its stance on advancing more dams in our state. We are particularly alarmed by the proposed 11,000 MW Upper Siang Multipurpose Storage Project, which is being considered of national importance. This designation suggests that the government may overlook critical issues such as socio-cultural impacts, the mass displacement of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, environmental degradation, wildlife concerns, and the 50-year-long anti-dam movement in the Siang region. We urge the government to prioritize environmental conservation and community well-being, favoring long-term sustainability over short-term gains.”
The representation also called for the amendment of the Arunachal Pradesh State Hydropower Policy of 2008 to better serve the interests of the state's people rather than those of transnational corporations and profit-driven entities.
On 8th July, 2024, at approximately 8:50 am, the Itanagar Police detained Advocate Ebo Mili and Dunge Apang, in contravention of the due procedure established in law and restrained them from exercising their right to protest. The police placed the human rights defenders under “bound down” according to Section 128 (Security for Good Behaviour from Suspected Persons) of the BNSS. According to the Itanagar Police, the detention was based on bald reports from “reliable sources” indicating that they might “disrupt the forthcoming public meeting involving the Chief Minister and Union Ministers” and “attempt to cause a public order issue.”. The activists were later released after signing a peace bond, with each facing a Rs 50,000 penalty for any breach of the bond related to the case under Section 128 of the Indian Civil Defence Code.
Last year, on 12th August 2023, Ebo Mili and Mejo Mehu were detained for staging a peaceful protest in Itanagar on similar issues. We view the preventive detention of Advocate Ebo Mili, Mejo Mehu and Dunge Apang as an act of reprisal against their environmental and human rights activism. It is against their constitutional and fundamental rights to organize peacefully in order to safeguard their natural environment and their right to life with dignity. Many of these concerns have also been highlighted in the recent letters sent to you on 18th Sep, 2024 by civil society activists, indigenous community leaders and environmentalists from across Arunachal Pradesh. Please do take cognizance of the same and address the concerns raised therein. 
In the light of the above, we call upon the State Government to:
  • Review the Mega Hydro Projects and not proceed with MoUs and Projects that would cause large scale, adverse impacts on the ecology of Arunachal Pradesh and its indigenous communities. 
  • Uphold the Right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the Indigenous Communities of Arunachal Pradesh, in the process of construction of any mega infrastructure projects. 
  • Initiate an independent, fair inquiry into the arbitrary detentions of Advocate Ebo Mili, Mejo Mehu and Dunge Apang and take action against concerned authorities, who violated the law.
  • Ensure the physical safety of the aforesaid activists, indigenous communities and safeguard their democratic right to protest peacefully, to defend ecology and people’s rights. 
As Chief Minister of the State, we trust you will prioritize the long-term interests of the ecology of the state, the well-being of the current and future generations while taking decisions. 
---
Click here for signatories 

Comments

TRENDING

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

EVMs: Govt must prove beyond reasonable doubt it's upholding mandate for free, fair polls

By Jerald D’souza  With the growth of India’s population, concerns about electoral fraud associated with ballot papers, also began to escalate. In 1989, the People’s Representation Act was amended to enable EVMs to prevent electoral fraud. In 1998, EVMs made their debut during legislative assembly elections and for the first time for general elections in 2004. However, criticisms against the EVMs and questions about their integrity have been raised by political parties, civil society and the general population. On 2 February 2024, there was a noteworthy demonstration of dissent where numerous individuals, including Ambedkarite advocates, legal professionals, and other members of civil society  convened at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the prohibition of EVMs. In 2024, the Supreme court had slapped down a petition to return to paper ballots on the basis that machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them. The court stated that it was open to testi...

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

This Indian British Marxist blamed USSR's collapse in 1991 on Khrushchev's 'revisionism'

By Harsh Thakor*  Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.

Chalapathi's death in encounter suggests Maoists' inability to establish broader mass support

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist movement experienced a significant loss during the Ramagudem encounter on January 21, with the death of Chalapathi (Pratap), a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). His death, along with 15 others, marks a major setback for the movement. Reports suggest that his location was revealed to security forces through a selfie with his wife.

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

Chhattisgarh's CFR management plan implementation under PM-DA JGUA: A promising start

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan*  Chhattisgarh is poised to benefit significantly from the Pradhan Mantri Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Uttkarsh Abhiyan (PM-DA JGUA) Mission, launched by the Prime Minister on October 2, 2024.  This mission aims to support 400 gram sabhas in the state in developing and implementing Community Forest Resource (CFR) Management Plans.

A groundbreaking non-violent approach: Maharishi’s invincible defense technology

By MajGen (R) Kulwant Singh, Col (R) SP Bakshi, Col (R) Jitendra Jung Karki, LtCol (R) Gunter Chassé & Dr David Leffler*  In today’s turbulent world, achieving lasting peace and ensuring national security are more urgent than ever. Traditional defense methods focus on advanced weapons, military strategies, and tactics, but a groundbreaking approach offers a new non-violent and holistic solution: Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). 

Why do we mostly resist and refrain from communicating on sanitation topic?

By Nikhil Kumar, Mansee Bal Bhargava* According to UN SDG Progress report (2022), at the present moment no targets for SDG 6 are expected to be met by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people had no access to safe drinking water and 3.5 million lacked safe sanitation. Approximately 50% of the world’s population was reported to have been under resourced in enough water for part of the year and a quarter of that population was living under “extremely high” water stress. Add to it, droughts have affected over 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021.

CCG raises concerns over Indian State of Forest Report 2023 in open letter to environment minister

By A Representative  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants, has expressed serious concerns over the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 in an open letter to the Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change. The group has criticized the report's delayed release, flawed methodology, and misleading claims regarding the state of India's forests.