Arunachal: Shops Shut, Govt Offices Function Normally During 12-Hour Itanagar Bandh Called by PRAC
A 12-hour shutdown called by the People’s Rights Action Committee (PRAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar Capital Region evoked a mixed response on Wednesday,
ITANAGAR— A 12-hour shutdown called by the People’s Rights Action Committee (PRAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar Capital Region evoked a mixed response on Wednesday, with shops and commercial establishments remaining closed while government offices continued to function normally.
The bandh, scheduled from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., was announced by PRAC Chairman Takam Sonia after an earlier ultimatum to the state government passed without action. It was largely peaceful, with no major reports of law-and-order problems or untoward incidents, according to Capital Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar.
PRAC’s core demands centre on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a major hydropower project on the Siang River that has triggered sustained opposition from local indigenous communities, particularly the Adi and Galo, over fears of displacement, loss of land, and ecological impact.
Key demands include:
- Immediate release of people detained in connection with the October 23 protests against SUMP in Siang, East Siang, and Upper Siang districts (including arrests linked to violence and arson in Pasighat).
- Withdrawal of security forces deployed for the project.
- Revocation of suspension orders against gaonburas (village headmen).
- Suspension of SUMP survey activities.
The committee has warned of an intensified agitation, including a possible indefinite statewide bandh.
Capital SP Jummar Basar confirmed the shutdown was proceeding peacefully and that security arrangements had been strengthened, with additional personnel deployed at key locations including the Civil Secretariat and Lok Bhavan.
Itanagar Capital Region (Naharlagun) SP Nyelam Nega also described the bandh as peaceful. Police reported that a group of few protesters attempted a march in the morning from Bage Tinali near Nirjuli toward IG Park in Itanagar but were dispersed without incident. While some vehicles continued to ply, roads across the capital region were largely deserted.
On November 3, Capital Complex District Magistrate Toko Babu declared the bandh illegal and unlawful under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The order, citing a Supreme Court judgment and public hardship to daily wage earners, patients, and businesses, directed organisers to withdraw the call immediately. The bandh went ahead despite this.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had assured the Adi community that their voices, land, homes, and the Siang River would remain central to considerations regarding the project, emphasizing dialogue and transparency.
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Commercial activity was significantly affected, with most shops and business establishments downing shutters. Government offices remained operational, and some reports noted that public transport continued with partial normalcy. Overall, the bandh disrupted normal commercial life while essential administrative functions proceeded, leading most outlets to describe the response as mixed.
The shutdown occurs amid ongoing tensions over the SUMP, which followed earlier protests, arrests, internet restrictions in parts of the Siang region, and community opposition to the project’s potential impacts.
