Bhanu Tatak, legal adviser to the Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum (SIFF) and a prominent anti-dam activist from Arunachal Pradesh, was stopped from boarding a flight to Dublin, Ireland, on Sunday after immigration officials cited a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Tatak was scheduled to join a three-month short course at Dublin City University beginning September 9. However, immigration authorities at Delhi airport prevented her from travelling.
According to a report by The Arunachal Times, Tatak said: “I got my visa, but Arunachal police complained to the MHA, and I have been stopped at immigration and my travel cancelled. No notice has been given to me, nor have the immigration officers issued any hold departure order.”
She further alleged that neither prior intimation nor written orders were provided before her detention. “As a lawyer, I would have complied with government procedures. Instead, this arbitrary action has denied me my right to travel,” she said.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa confirmed that the state police had requested the MHA to issue the LOC. “We requested MHA to place her on the LOC based on several police complaints against her. This has been done to ensure that the investigation is not affected,” he said.
Tatak was recently summoned by the Special Investigation Team of the crime branch in connection with a case registered at the Boleng police station. According to officials, multiple FIRs have been lodged against her over protests against the proposed 11,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
Following the incident, Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) issued a statement calling Tatak’s detention “a dangerous escalation in a long-running campaign to silence her anti-dam activism.”
The group alleged that the case against Tatak—filed by Siang Deputy Commissioner P.N. Thungon, citing her role in an alleged attack on MLA and Minister Ojing Tasing—was “reprisal” for her leadership role in opposing mega-dam projects.
“Indigenous human rights defender Bhanu Tatak is now facing false criminal charges. Her targeting reflects the broader pattern of harassment of Indigenous leaders opposing destructive development projects in Arunachal Pradesh,” IPRI said.
The organisation demanded the withdrawal of charges against Tatak, accountability for the officials involved, and protection of her right to travel. It also reiterated calls for halting the proposed Siang dam project, citing its massive social, cultural, and ecological impacts.
Tatak, also an artist and community leader, has been at the forefront of the anti-dam movement in the Siang and Dibang valleys. She has consistently campaigned against projects that threaten to displace Indigenous communities and submerge ancestral lands.
In 2023, she was honoured with the Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) award as one of India’s inspiring young women leaders for her commitment to defending community rights and the environment.
Her detention and travel denial has sparked concern among activists and rights groups, who warn that the criminalisation of Indigenous leaders undermines India’s obligations under international human rights frameworks, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
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