As dam proponents signed a Memorandum of Agreements (MoA) for 13 new hydroelectric power projects in the presence of Union Power Minister R.K. Singh on Saturday in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Police apprehended a human rights lawyer and his cousin for protesting against mega dams. Itanagar Police apprehended the duo and detained them for several hours, according to the lawyer, Ebo Mili.
The incident happened on Saturday afternoon when Ebo Mili reached the Niti Vihar trijunction in Itanagar, anticipating the movement of the dignitaries attending the MOA signing ceremony. Mili reached the spot alone with large placards saying ‘No More Dams’ and ‘Arunachal Not A Dam Country’ and several flyers to ‘create awareness about illegal dams’ proposed in the Himalayan state, as per entry made by the Officer in Charge of Niti Vihar Police Station.
According to Mili, however, he did not want to stage any protest initially. “There was a 12-hour bandh call given by the All Idu Mishmi Students’ Union (AIMSU) on the day of the MOA signing, August 12, for Lower Dibang and Dibang districts. I thought the bandh would send a message to the politicians and policymakers to say that our people oppose these dams,” Ebo told EastMojo.
However, the AIMSU withdrew the bandh call on Friday night. “We learnt that the local MLAs and Lower Dibang district administration pressured the students’ union to withdraw the bandh and come to the discussion table. That’s when I decided to protest,” Mili added.
The human rights advocate maintained that he was shouting slogans from behind the railings of a footpath. He also threw some flyers on the passing dignitaries to a banquet hall where the MOA signing was scheduled to be held. “I saw former CM Nabam Tuki’s vehicle and I threw the flyers in the direction of his convoy. Nothing happened for half an hour and it did not seem like the former minister had any objection to my actions,” Mili added. When a senior police official was passing through the trijunction he repeated the same action and shouted slogans. “It was then some armed policemen and security officials came and started pushing me around. They also tore my posters and pamphlets,” Mili added.
His cousin, Mejo Mihu, who reached the spot, started to appeal to the policemen not to detain Mili. he too was detained by the policemen. “My cousin came to stop me. Police also pushed him and took him into their custody,” Mili added.
According to a member of the Dibang Resistance and Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), Bhanu Tatak, the lawyer and his cousin were detained for eight hours. Tatak and many of Mili’s friends and family were frantically searching for the duo when they later learnt they were detained.
According to the Itanagar Superintendent of Police, Rohit Rajbir Singh, the protestors were detained to prevent any untoward incident during the MOA signing ceremony. The police official stated that Ebo Mili had to stop to prevent him from committing any cognizable offence.
An executive magistrate later asked Mili to sign a bond to maintain peace for one year with a surety of Rs 10000 and released him. While no case has been registered against the cousin, the bond states Mejo Mihu was strongly warned not to participate in any ‘unlawful activity’.
The detention of the lawyer and his family member has been strongly condemned by the members of the Adi and Idu Mishmi community from Dibang Valley who protested outside Lower Dibang Deputy Commissioner’s residence on Saturday night in Roing. “While the govt itself is forceful and unconstitutional without following any protocol of public consultation [for big dams]. There is nothing unconstitutional about peaceful protest and demonstrations so we appeal to the DC Roing to kindly communicate our message to release Ebo and Mejo immediately,” said Bhanu Tatak, a member of Dibang Resistance and SIFF. “We stand with Adv. Ebo Mili and Mejo Mihu in their fight for justice, can’t we even protest? Why
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have Ebo and Mejo detained for just holding placards?,” said Timai Miwu, a youth from Dibang Valley. Amar Mega, an Idu Mishmi Youth from Indigenous Research and Advocacy Dibang (IRAD) appealed to the public to join in solidarity.
According to government sources, five of the 13 dams for which MOAs were signed are located in Dibang Valley. The Union government has already sanctioned the Dibang Multipurpose Project, slated to be the tallest dam in the country, which has divided the Idu Mishmi society. If these projects materialise, Dibang Valley alone will have 17 dams. On the other hand, a 2014 Gauhati High Court order has restricted the Arunachal Pradesh government from proposing new dams without the consent of the locals.
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