The Centre has dispatched two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force’s Rapid Action Force (RAF) to Arunachal Pradesh after protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project turned violent in Pasighat. Around 250 RAF personnel were airlifted from Navi Mumbai aboard an Indian Air Force transport aircraft, according to officials cited in news reports, and were expected to reach Pasighat and take up deployment duties.
The RAF is the CRPF’s specialised anti-riot unit, recognisable by its blue uniform. Officials said several CRPF units were already deployed in the violence-affected areas, and Arunachal Pradesh has a permanent deployment of about two to three CRPF battalions. Officials added that CRPF personnel had handled the protests and helped prevent further escalation, although several police and central forces personnel were injured.
How the Unrest Unfolded
The violence followed a 12-hour bandh across Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts against the proposed 11,200-MW project. Reports said the bandh itself remained largely peaceful during the day, but trouble broke out in Pasighat after the shutdown ended, continuing into the early hours of the next morning. A mob reportedly set fire to an office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and a police station, torched police vehicles, and vandalised the residences of three political leaders, including state BJP president Kaling Moyong.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu described the incidents as regrettable and said the right to peaceful protest was an essential part of democracy, but demonstrations must remain within the bounds of the law and must not result in damage to property or disruption of public order. He appealed to all sections of society to maintain peace.
Restrictions in Pasighat and Nearby Towns
The East Siang district administration imposed prohibitions on public gatherings and processions across Pasighat, Mebo and Ruksin, according to reports, with restrictions also covering the carrying of weapons. Police officials warned that those responsible for the violence would face legal action, while appealing to protesters to pursue their demands through peaceful dialogue.
The state government maintains that the proposed project is primarily aimed at storing and managing waters in the Siang river basin, particularly in view of concerns over a proposed mega dam upstream. Protesters, meanwhile, have raised concerns about displacement, ancestral land and the river ecosystem, and have demanded the release of detained activists and a halt to project-related survey work. Those competing claims remain unverified in full, and the underlying disagreement over the project is unresolved.
Earlier unrest linked to the same project saw an NHPC office and a police station torched amid protests, while frontier tensions in Arunachal Pradesh remain a live issue.
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