Union minister Rijiju Calls For Dialogue to Resolve Siang Project Concerns

Itanagar: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday called for dialogue between the government and people opposing the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), saying concerns and apprehensions of indigenous communities can be addressed only through mutual understanding and respectful discussions. Rijiju, who represents the Arunachal West Parliamentary Constituency, said there should be no coercion and urged representatives of the government and senior members of the indigenous community to sit together and find a way forward.

"If we sit down and talk, technically, everything will be clear. We have to talk. We have to move forward only by talking," Rijiju, the Union Parliamentary and Minority Affairs minister, told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Pasighat in East Siang district.

He said the issue should not be viewed merely in terms of those supporting or opposing the project, but from the perspective of the future of the region and its people.

"We don't see pro or anti. We see the future," the minister said, stressing that the government should engage with senior members of society and move forward together.

Rijiju's remarks came amid continued opposition to the proposed mega hydropower project from people in the Siang region, who have expressed concerns over its possible impact on their traditional way of life, displacement, ecological damage and the risks involved in constructing a large project in a seismically active region.

The protesters have demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) activities and survey work for the project proposed on the Siang River.

They have also sought withdrawal of security forces deployed in areas likely to be affected by the project.

Referring to the concerns and anger among villagers, Rijiju said the people should not be treated as adversaries and that their apprehensions needed to be heard with respect.

"They are our people. We should talk respectfully to each other. We are not enemies," he said.

The minister also appealed to senior citizens and community leaders in the affected areas to engage with the government rather than allowing differences to widen.

"If they talk to the government, their anger will go away," Rijiju said, adding that both sides needed to sit together and understand each other's concerns.

He said a situation in which the protesters refuse to talk while the government continues to move ahead would not help resolve the issue.

"If the protesters say they will not talk and the government says we are moving forward, then how will this happen? We have to talk," he said

The government has maintained that the SUMP has the potential to contribute significantly to economic and social development, create employment opportunities for local youth and strengthen water and energy security for Arunachal Pradesh as well as the country.

The project has also assumed strategic significance in view of concerns over China's proposed mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river upstream, which enters India as the Siang.

Rijiju said the national interest and the concerns of indigenous people should move together, and called for a collective effort to find a solution through dialogue.

"There should be no coercion," he said, reiterating that the way forward was through discussion and mutual respect.