The Siang belt is simmering. And the All Adi Youth Association has had enough. On October 6, the All Adi Youth Association (AAYA) walked into the Arunachal Press Club with one message that was direct, unambiguous, and long overdue — withdraw the Central Armed Police Forces and state police from Siang and Upper Siang districts … Read more
Clashes at Riga and Ugeng leave CRPF personnel — including an Assistant Commandant — and protesters seriously injured. The Siang is boiling, and not just with water. There is something quietly devastating about watching a river community go to war to protect the very land their ancestors named. On Sunday, October 5, that quiet desperation … Read more
Someone, somewhere, hit a button — and suddenly, news about one of Arunachal Pradesh’s most contested projects simply vanished from social media screens across India. Journalists covering the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) started noticing something alarming over the past few days. Their videos were disappearing. Their accounts were getting flagged. People trying to … Read more
When a minister says national security is non-negotiable, you know the conversation has moved far beyond megawatts and dams. The battle lines over the proposed 11,000-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project are getting sharper. On Sunday, October 4, Arunachal Pradesh minister Ojing Tasing came out swinging in support of the contentious project, making it absolutely clear … Read more
The Arunachal government has finally agreed to talk — but not before silencing one of the loudest voices opposing the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. ITANAGAR, October 3 — Something interesting happened this week in Arunachal Pradesh. After Chief Minister Pema Khandu completed a tour of Upper Siang and Siang districts — a visit that drew … Read more
When the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has to flee by helicopter from his own state’s district, something has gone deeply, seriously wrong. That is exactly what happened in Yingkiong on September 30, when protests over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) turned violent — forcing Chief Minister Pema Khandu to cut short his … Read more
The roads are blocked. The anger is real. And Geku’s message to the government couldn’t be any clearer. As Chief Minister Pema Khandu prepares to visit Boleng in Siang district on September 29 and Yingkiong in Upper Siang district on September 30, the mood in the Siang Valley is anything but welcoming. Villagers in Geku … Read more
The Arunachal Pradesh government just made a move to fast-track one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the state’s history — and it’s already stirring up fresh friction. The state Cabinet, on September 24, gave its approval to form an empowered high-level committee that will guide and coordinate the pre-feasibility report (PFR) survey for … Read more
The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project has long been a powder keg in Arunachal Pradesh. On Monday, Chief Minister Pema Khandu lit a match. Amid mounting resistance from indigenous communities against pre-feasibility report (PFR) activities for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), Khandu convened a high-stakes consultative meeting in Itanagar — pulling in hundreds of … Read more
The Siang River has flowed through the heart of Arunachal Pradesh for centuries — feeding farms, sustaining cultures, and binding the Adi people to their ancestral land. Now, a proposed mega-dam threatens to bury all of that under hundreds of metres of water. And the people who call this valley home are not going quietly. … Read more
