The Public Rights Action Committee (PRAC) has called off its bandh in the Itanagar Capital Region after what it described as a positive response from the Arunachal Pradesh government to its demands. The decision follows a 12-hour shutdown that ran from 5 am to 5 pm and disrupted normal life across the capital region, with shops largely closed even as government offices functioned.
PRAC protest chairman Takam Sonia said the issue of detained activists had been taken up by the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), the parent organisation leading the movement against the proposed Siang dam project. A meeting with a PRAC delegation was also scheduled to discuss the committee’s demands on healthcare infrastructure and the pending completion of National Highway 415.
What PRAC is demanding
The committee has been seeking the release of protesters booked under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA) following protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang dam. Its wider charter includes the upgradation of the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), the operationalisation of the Drug Testing Laboratory, and the expeditious completion of NH-415, the highway serving the capital region.
The committee has also sought the withdrawal of security forces deployed for the project, the revocation of suspension orders against village headmen, and a halt to survey activities. The district administration had declared the bandh illegal under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, warning of legal action against those enforcing or supporting it. Police said the shutdown passed off peacefully, though around 30 protesters marching from Bage Tinali towards IG Park were dispersed.
Agitation continues, says PRAC
Sonia was clear that the withdrawal of the bandh should not be read as a suspension of the demands or the conclusion of the agitation. PRAC, he said, will continue to stand with SIFF on the issue of detained activists, and if SIFF proceeds with its movement despite the proposed dialogue, PRAC will maintain its position and keep pressing for the release of the detainees.
The committee has said its campaign will continue until tangible measures address its demands, warning that failure to act could trigger a wider agitation. For the government, the dialogue offer opens a channel; for the protesters, the test will be whether the talks produce releases, healthcare upgrades and road work rather than assurances.
The bandh itself disrupted the capital region for a full day, and Chief Minister Pema Khandu has already offered dialogue as the Siang dam protests grow. The coming talks will show whether that dialogue can bridge the gap between the government and the movement.
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