HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, July 29: The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) has alleged that signatures of Riga villagers were obtained through dubious means for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) linked to the proposed Siang Upper Multi-Project (SUMP), and asserted that those who signed the document do not represent the larger community or area.
The forum has called into question the process, transparency, and validity of the consent mechanism used to push forward the contentious hydropower initiative.
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Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club on Tuesday, SIFF spokesperson Taguri Mize claimed that a number of the signatures used to show support for the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) were obtained from closely related individuals within the same households, such as husbands and wives or fathers and sons, and were counted multiple times to inflate the appearance of wider support.
Mize further alleged that many of the signatories were not properly informed about the contents and implications of the MoU before signing it, thereby undermining the legitimacy of the process.
Referring to recent remarks by chief minister Pema Khandu on social media that suggested Riga villagers had given their consent for the project, Mize dismissed the statement as factually inaccurate.
He argued that instead of rushing into signing MoUs, the government should have first dispatched a technical committee to provide a comprehensive briefing on the proposed project, including its geographical extent, likely impact, and the area to be submerged.
Mize questioned the urgency shown by the authorities in securing a hurried consent for a project that remains deeply contentious among local populations.
Accusing some leaders of misleading the state government by projecting a false sense of community backing, Mize said SIFF would soon file a Right to Information (RTI) request to the state government, seeking the full list of signatories submitted as proof of consent.
The objective, he explained, is to identify actual landowners and check for possible duplication of signatures, which he claimed had already taken place.
He warned those involved in the signing process against manipulating public sentiment and misrepresenting the will of the residents of not just Riga village but the entire Siang basin, which stands to be impacted by the hydropower project.
Mize also clarified that the 17 individuals who signed the PFR from Riga are all Anchal Samiti Members (ASMs) or Gram Panchayat Members (GPMs), and therefore do not represent the whole village.
He alleged that these panchayat leaders signed the MoU without consulting the Riga Humbung – Hiram Baane Kebang (RHHBK), the traditional apex and appellate council of Riga village, which had repeatedly called upon the leaders to attend meetings to discuss the issue.
According to Mize, these invitations—issued over eight times—have been ignored.
He said the RHHBK has issued one final invitation for July 31, warning that if the signatories fail to attend the meeting, the council may be compelled to take its own course of action.
Should any untoward incident arise from such developments, Mize said, the state government would bear responsibility for the fallout.
The SUMP, one of several proposed hydropower projects in the region, has been the subject of widespread concern among indigenous communities, who fear displacement, ecological damage, and disruption to traditional land rights.
The SIFF’s latest claims have further intensified the ongoing debate over the consent process and the legitimacy of large-scale infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive areas.
