Mobile internet services were suspended across Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district on Monday as protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) intensified, with a 36-hour bandh also covering Siang and East Siang districts.
The shutdown began at 5 am amid a widening mobilisation by indigenous organisations, student unions and community-based groups. The action has brought renewed attention to the social and environmental concerns surrounding the proposed project, which has faced sustained opposition from sections of the indigenous Adi community in the areas identified as potentially affected.
Bandh linked to demands over arrests and survey work
The bandh was called by the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) and the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association (SAAYA), with support from student and community organisations. The groups are seeking the release of activists detained during the agitation and want pre-feasibility report survey activities stopped immediately in areas that could be affected by the project.
The suspension of mobile internet has come at a time when the protest movement is seeking to coordinate action across several districts. The measure also affects access to digital communication for people living in a remote and geographically difficult region, although the available information does not specify the duration of the suspension or the government order under which it was imposed.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Project under opposition | Siang Upper Multipurpose Project |
| Proposed capacity | 11,200 MW |
| Bandh duration | 36 hours |
| Districts covered by bandh | Upper Siang, Siang and East Siang |
Indigenous forum raises wider concerns
The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) condemned what it described as the alleged mistreatment of people from the state in connection with the SUMP. The forum appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to treat Arunachal Pradesh’s indigenous people as terrorists or as second-class citizens.
The AITF also questioned the silence of elected representatives, specifically naming Tapir Gao and Tai Tagak. It further condemned recent incidents of violence involving people from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi. These references have widened the political and social context of the anti-project mobilisation beyond the immediate dispute over survey work and arrests.
“Different groups but one voice; different organisations but one collective resolve - Stop SUMP, Save Siang.”
The forum alleged that attempts were being made to exploit the state’s land, rivers and forests. It called on political parties, student bodies, community groups, non-governmental organisations and the public to participate in a meeting scheduled for November 8, 2026, at DK Convention Hall to deliberate on the proposed project and the future of Arunachal Pradesh.
Concerns over land, villages and livelihoods
Opposition to SUMP has been driven primarily by apprehensions about the submergence of ancestral villages, displacement, and the loss of agricultural land and livelihoods. For communities whose social and cultural life is closely tied to river valleys, forests and inherited village territories, the proposed infrastructure has become a question not only of power generation but also of continuity and identity.
The Congress has separately demanded that the project be scrapped and that all those arrested during the protests be released. The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee said development should not come at the cost of indigenous communities’ ancestral land, identity, culture and livelihood. It also maintained that people likely to be affected must give prior consent before the project proceeds.
The party sought the withdrawal of cases registered under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, revocation of suspension orders against government employees and withdrawal of cases involving gaon buras, or village headmen, who opposed the project. It also called for the removal of additional security personnel from the proposed project-affected areas.
Call for dialogue amid continuing mobilisation
The Congress further sought adequate compensation for those who suffered losses, medical assistance for injured protesters and rehabilitation support. It urged the state government and the Centre to restore peace in the Siang region through dialogue and confidence-building measures.
Protests against major hydropower projects have gained momentum across Arunachal Pradesh, with rallies reported against both SUMP and the Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project. Demonstrators have raised concerns about river protection, ancestral land, indigenous identity and the rights of local communities. The latest bandh and internet restriction indicate that the dispute has entered a more tense phase.
The protesting organisations have appealed for peaceful and democratic mobilisation. The immediate issues remain the release of detained activists, the halt to pre-feasibility surveys and the restoration of normal communication services. A durable resolution will also depend on how questions of consent, displacement, compensation and protection of traditional institutions are addressed before any further project-related activity is undertaken.
