The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) has formally declined the Arunachal Pradesh government’s invitation to participate in talks regarding the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), setting strict preconditions before any future dialogue can take place. In a clear stand against the administration, SIFF declared that it will not engage in discussions until all detained protesters are unconditionally released and security forces deployed across the affected region are completely withdrawn. The state government had extended a fresh invitation via a letter from the Chief Minister’s Office dated November 3, asking SIFF representatives to attend a high-level meeting in Itanagar between November 5 and 7. The official communication, addressed directly to the SIFF president, noted that Chief Minister Pema Khandu sought to convene the meeting at his Niti Vihar office on a mutually convenient date within the specified timeframe. This latest attempt at mediation follows a previous invitation extended by the Chief Minister on October 5, which SIFF had similarly turned down while maintaining that it remained open to dialogue at a later stage. However, the ground situation has intensified significantly amid widespread grassroots opposition to the mega hydropower initiative, leading to violence in Pasighat following forceful police action against youth-led demonstrations. The core of the conflict centers on pre-feasibility report activities being carried out for the ambitious SUMP, an enterprise estimated to possess a massive power generation capacity ranging from 11,000 MW to 12,500 MW. Local farmers and indigenous community members express deep concern over the long-term ecological, social, and economic impacts of altering the river ecosystem. By conditioning future talks on the release of activists and demilitarization of the area, SIFF has placed the onus squarely on Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s government to de-escalate tensions and demonstrate good faith before any formal negotiations over the state’s flagship energy initiative can resume.
