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Citizens Rally in Itanagar Against Proposed Siang Mega Dam

Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India · Oct 29, 2026

Is it still on?

NOIt was a one-day action on Oct 29.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
Citizens and youth groups protested against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and the militarisation of the Siang belt.
What they want
Protesters demanded an end to pre-feasibility surveys, withdrawal of paramilitary forces, and the release of arrested or detained activists.
What changed
Oct 29, 2026: Hundreds to thousands of citizens and youth activists rallied in Itanagar in solidarity with the Adi community.
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Both sides

What protesters want

  • Stop pre-feasibility report surveys for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project
  • Release all detained and arrested protesters
  • Withdraw CRPF, RAF, and paramilitary personnel from dam-affected areas
  • Protect indigenous land, rivers, culture, and rights

Organised by: Youth for Change, Cockroach Janta Party (Arunachal Unit), Indigenous of Siang, Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF)

What authorities say

No official response reported in the sources regarding the rally itself, though authorities deployed paramilitary forces and sought search warrants for individuals connected to previous unrest in Pasighat.123

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Crowd
100s
Hundreds to over a thousand citizens, youth activists, student groups, and representatives of indigenous organisations1
Arrests / detentions
27
demand the release of 27 arrested youths3

The full story

On October 29, 2026, hundreds to over a thousand citizens, youth activists, student groups, and indigenous representatives staged a solidarity rally in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Organised by groups including Youth for Change, the Cockroach Janta Party, Indigenous of Siang, and the Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum, the demonstration opposed the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Participants demanded the cancellation of pre-feasibility report surveys, the withdrawal of paramilitary personnel from the Siang basin, and the release of individuals detained during earlier unrest in the Siang region. Speakers expressed concerns over environmental damage and the loss of ancestral land and indigenous identity. The protest followed recent violent clashes and arson in Pasighat, after which police sought search warrants against several individuals.

Timeline

  1. Police sought search warrants against four individuals regarding earlier violence and arson during anti-dam protests in Pasighat.3

  2. Hundreds of citizens and youth groups rallied in Itanagar demanding the cancellation of the Siang dam survey and release of detained protesters.12

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

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