Arunachal releases 4 Siang Dam protesters after nearly a month in jail

The Arunachal Pradesh government released four protesters opposing the proposed Siang mega dam. The goodwill gesture could reopen dialogue, though security deployment and police cases remain unresolved.

In Short

• Detainees were held under Arunachal's 2014 unlawful activities law in October
• Government approved reinstatement of village chiefs suspended during the agitation
• Withdrawal of police cases will proceed through established legal processes

Four protesters detained over the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh were released from Jully Central Jail near Itanagar on Saturday, nearly a month after their arrest, officials told news agency Press Trust of India.

The release followed the state government's decision to free them as a goodwill gesture in response to demands from the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum, which has been leading protests against the proposed mega dam. The move is expected to help ease tensions in the Siang Valley after months of protests and confrontations.

The four protesters — Adum Tayom, Omak Paron, Okut Paloh and Oson Paron — were detained on October 9 under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2014, officials told PTI.

In a letter dated November 6, the Chief Minister's Office also approved the reinstatement of gaonburas and gaonburis who had been suspended over disciplinary action linked to the agitation.

The government said the withdrawal of police cases against protesters would have to follow the legal process. It added that the demand to withdraw Central Armed Police Forces and Rapid Action Force personnel from the region would be discussed at a proposed meeting with representatives of the forum, after considering the security situation.

The government urged the forum to resume talks and suggest a convenient date for a meeting with Chief Minister Pema Khandu, along with a list of delegates. It also asked the organisation to encourage residents of Siang and Upper Siang districts to maintain peace and refrain from violence, intimidation and attacks.

The communication from the Chief Minister's Office, signed by Shibu Thomas, Principal Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the concerns of the Adi community through a mutually acceptable roadmap.

The release of the four protesters was among the forum's key conditions for joining talks with the government. It had earlier rejected Khandu's invitation for dialogue, saying that its demands, including the release of detainees and withdrawal of security forces, must be addressed first.

However, the government's latest response did not announce the reinstatement of suspended or dismissed government employees, another demand raised by the forum.

Sections of the indigenous Adi community have opposed the proposed project over concerns about possible displacement, the submergence of ancestral villages and environmental consequences. Protests intensified in September and October, leading to violent confrontations, arrests and the deployment of additional security personnel in the region.

Khandu had earlier said that neither the Centre nor the state government had approved the construction of the project and that only the preparation of a pre-feasibility report was under consideration.

The four protesters have now been released and the government has invited the forum to resume talks, while decisions on the withdrawal of police cases and security personnel remain pending. The forum's response to the latest initiatives is awaited.

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