Itanagar, Oct 26 Anti-dam activists Ebo Mili and Otul Jerang, who surrendered before the police in connection with the violence during a bandh against the proposed Siang dam project in Arunachal Pradesh, have begun a hunger strike inside Pasighat jail on Monday, a member of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) claimed.
The two activists began the hunger strike alleging they were falsely implicated in the case, the SIFF member said.
However, East Siang Superintendent of Police Pankaj Lamba denied that the duo were on a hunger strike.
He said they had breakfast but had not eaten anything since then, adding that this could not be called a hunger strike.
“It is normal to skip food for six-seven hours,” Lamba told PTI.
Mili and Jerang surrendered before the police on October 23 after the anti-dam bandh turned violent in Pasighat.
Mili maintained that the bandh was initially peaceful, but tensions escalated following reports of tear gas being used against protesters in Geku.
The two activists had also condemned the violence and vandalism.
They are among 26 people, including five juveniles, who have been taken into custody in connection with the violence, police said, adding that several criminal cases have been registered over the incident.
The shutdown was observed across Siang and Upper Siang districts and parts of East Siang, primarily to demand the release of activists arrested during earlier demonstrations.
The proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) has faced opposition from sections of indigenous communities over concerns about displacement, loss of ancestral land, and environmental risks.
(PTI News)
