The dam will be built anyhow, whether today or tomorrow,
BJP MP Tapir Gao declared while addressing students at Tezu, as opposition to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project intensified across Arunachal Pradesh.
Tapir Gao Defends National Project Status at Tezu College
Speaking on Monday at the Indira Gandhi Government College in Lohit district, Gao maintained that the massive hydropower undertaking would eventually become a reality even if it takes another generation. The MP argued that the resistance is driven by individuals pursuing political ambitions rather than genuine community concern. He reminded the audience that the initiative was declared a national project in 2008 by the government led by Dr Manmohan Singh.
Addressing the unrest in Pasighat, Gao stated that 92 people had been arrested in connection with the October 23 demonstrations, during which protesters attacked private properties and government establishments. He added that detained minors had already been released while more than 100 additional arrests are anticipated.
Katon Moyong and Adi Community Reject Government Talks
Activist Katon Moyong, widely known as Aborman, flatly rejected the state government’s invitation for dialogue during a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club in Itanagar. Having spent decades opposing dams on the mainstream river since the initial Brahmaputra flood control proposal in 1979, Moyong asserted that the community’s position requires no further negotiation.
If you want to build a dam on the Siang, you have to exterminate the entire Adi community.
Katon Moyong, anti-Siang Upper Multipurpose Project activist
Moyong maintained that while indigenous residents do not oppose development broadly, they draw a strict line against damming the main Siang channel and are willing to help construct projects on smaller tributaries instead. He urged all traditional village councils across the 60 affected villages to remain united and withhold participation in discussions with the government.
Adi Ba Kebang United Questions Contradictory Government Statements
The Adi Ba Kebang United organization sent a formal letter to Commissioner (East) Amjad Tak on Tuesday to challenge conflicting messages coming from state leadership. The group highlighted a deep contradiction between Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s repeated public assurances that the dam would never proceed without community consent and the unwavering insistence from MPs and ministers that the construction will move forward regardless.
Meanwhile, the Adi Galo Welfare Society launched a foot march from Geku on November 4, reaching Dhemaji in Assam on Monday to mobilize regional opposition across state lines. The marchers received backing from Assam-based bodies including the Asom Jatiya Parishad and the Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad while proceeding along National Highway 515 toward Itanagar.
Congress Demands Protester Releases and White Paper on Livelihood Package
At a press briefing at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Bosiram Siram demanded the unconditional release of all detained protesters, the dropping of State Investigation Cell cases, and the immediate revocation of suspension orders issued against participating government workers and village representatives. The party also called for the withdrawal of extra paramilitary forces deployed throughout the Siang valley.
The opposition party pressed for complete transparency regarding the proposed Rs 350-crore livelihood and development package linked to the dam. Siram asked for a comprehensive white paper detailing upfront payments received by the state administration from hydropower developers, arguing that accountability is essential to address public anxiety over land loss, cultural displacement, and ecological security.
My beloved Adi brothers and sisters, I deeply understand the concerns and apprehensions surrounding the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. I want to assure you that your voices, your land, your homes and our beloved Aane Siang remain at the heart of every consideration. Your… pic.twitter.com/XnYf43wVU6
— Post by @PemaKhanduBJP on X
Strategic Defense Needs Versus Downstream Community Anxieties
Supporters of the 11,200-megawatt undertaking argue that the infrastructure serves an urgent defensive purpose against upstream activities by China. Beijing formally inaugurated construction on a massive hydropower initiative along the lower Yarlung Tsangpo, known as the Medog project, which holds an estimated capacity of 60,000 MW.
Proponents point out that India requires equivalent downstream storage capacity to regulate dry-season flows and mitigate sudden flood surges resulting from upstream developments. NITI Aayog initially proposed the multipurpose scheme in 2017 as a direct counterweight to Chinese hydropower ambitions in the Himalayas.
Critics counter that the massive reservoir, estimated to hold approximately 9.2 billion cubic metres of water, poses severe hazards reminiscent of the catastrophic South Lhonak Lake burst in Sikkim. Regional civil society groups such as the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland have also urged authorities to halt pre-feasibility surveys and respect the free, prior, and informed consent of local populations.
