‘Threats, detentions, militarisation’: How Arunachal government is choking anti-dam protests

The Arunachal Pradesh government has used policing, preventive detention, paramilitary deployment, and information controls to contain opposition to the Siang Upper Multipurpose project. Residents say these measures have turned villages into “military zones” and made public protest riskier.

Four SIFF activists were placed in preventive detention for up to six months under the state’s Unlawful Activities law. Police also arrested protesters, while paramilitary personnel were sent into Upper Siang villages. Social media pages and accounts reporting on the protests were blocked, and the information department warned that criticism or gatherings could bring arrests.

On one Friday, tear gas used at a Ditte Dime protest injured five women. The agitation later reached Pasighat, where protesters torched police vehicles. Activists also said village headmen opposing the dam were sacked. These actions have increased confrontation while limiting the movement’s ability to communicate publicly.

Preventive detention is confinement intended to stop suspected future unlawful activity, rather than punishment imposed after a court finds someone guilty. Under Arunachal Pradesh’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, authorities can hold a person for up to six months, with little to no legal recourse, according to the article.

The four SIFF activists were detained after being taken from Pasighat to Itanagar. The district magistrate’s order said they were held “to contain unlawful activities” in Upper Siang district. Their families said they were not promptly told about the arrests, the reason for them, or where the men had been taken.

An arrest following conviction is different. It follows a criminal case and a court’s judgment, and punishment is imposed for an established offence. Preventive detention happens before that process is completed. In this case, the detention became a central protest issue because it restricted activists without a reported conviction.

The Siang Upper Multipurpose project is proposed as an 11,000 MW dam in Arunachal Pradesh. Its scale makes it a major infrastructure project, while its possible footprint reaches communities living along the Siang river.

The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum estimates that 27 villages in Siang and Upper Siang districts would be affected. The forum represents agriculturists from the Adi community, many of whom have opposed surveys for the project for years. The river enters Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet and is the Brahmaputra’s main tributary.

The project was first proposed in 2017 by the Central government think-tank Niti Aayog. In September, Chief Minister Pema Khandu visited the valley to promote a pre-feasibility survey. The government’s push has met strong local resistance, including protests, government-vehicle burnings, and disruptions to official meetings.

Adi community residents oppose the dam because they believe it threatens their homeland, farms, and ancestral lands. The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum represents agriculturists from the Adi community and has resisted project surveys for years. Their concern is not only about construction, but also about losing places tied to community life and identity.

The forum estimates that 27 villages along the Siang, across Siang and Upper Siang districts, would be affected. Residents say the proposed dam could submerge ancestral lands and displace them. These fears have driven protests, stalled surveys, and resistance to government visits and meetings connected with the project.

If built, the project could therefore alter or cover parts of the villages’ existing landscape and force residents to leave areas they regard as ancestral. The article does not describe a final resettlement plan. Opposition remains strong, with activists continuing to challenge both the project and the government’s methods.

The Arunachal Pradesh government supports the dam mainly as a strategic and protective project. Officials connect it to Chinese hydropower development upstream on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the river known as the Siang after it enters Arunachal Pradesh. The proposed Indian project was first framed as a response to that threat.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu defended the dam as a way to protect Adi tribes from a proposed 60,000 MW Chinese dam that has not yet been built. He also said many villagers in the Siang belt had been misinformed about the project. In September, he visited the valley to push for a pre-feasibility survey.

This reasoning has not resolved the conflict. Residents continue to fear submergence and displacement, while the government has pursued surveys despite opposition. The dispute now combines development and regional-security arguments with questions about land, consent, protest rights, and the treatment of local communities.

The government’s actions have changed the movement from a long-running campaign against surveys into a broader confrontation over force, detention, and visibility. Residents describe villages as “military zones,” while restrictions on social media make it harder for protesters and reporters to show what is happening.

Four activists were detained, protesters were arrested, and paramilitary forces were deployed. At Ditte Dime, tear gas used during a protest injured five women. The agitation then spread to Pasighat, where protesters torched police vehicles after tear gas was fired. The government also warned that criticism or gatherings could lead to arrests.

These measures have increased fear and anger but have not stopped opposition. Protesters continue demanding the withdrawal of paramilitary forces and the release of detainees. Activists say the movement lacks national media attention, so online restrictions may further isolate it while intensifying local resistance.

A large dam stores or controls river water, creating pressure and flow through turbines. The moving water spins the turbines, which drive generators and produce electricity. This can provide substantial power for homes, industry, and infrastructure, making dams attractive for regional development.

The Siang project illustrates both sides of that trade-off. Its proposed capacity is 11,000 MW, and the government presents it as strategically important amid Chinese hydropower plans upstream. Electricity and related construction could bring investment and improve regional capacity, although the article does not detail specific local benefits.

The costs can be equally significant. A reservoir may cover farmland, forests, and ancestral lands, while changed river flows can disturb habitats and communities dependent on the river. In the Siang Valley, the farmers’ forum estimates that 27 villages could be affected. That is why development claims have met sustained opposition.