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Jaipur: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Arunachal Pradesh facing massive protests against the proposed mega-dam project over the Siang river, chief minister Pema Khandu’s efforts to defuse the situation have not met with success. The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), the outfit spearheading these protests, on Friday (November 6), rejected his appeal to hold talks with the government.

The anti-dam activists activists have pointed out that the arrests and detentions of anti-dam protesters by the state government do not make an environment conducive for talks.

“We have rejected the government’s offer to hold talks. Day by day, more people protesting against the proposed dam are being arrested. We want to talk but how can we talk in such a situation. For that, there has to be a conducive situation,” SIFF spokesperson Tagori Mize told The Wire on Friday.

Mize added that several anti-dam protesters continue to be lodged in jail.

“There can be no talks until the arrests continue. We demand that all of those who have been arrested be released unconditionally and that the FIRs are withdrawn. The deployment of central security forces against protesters must also end before any talks can happen,” said Mize.

As reported earlier by The Wire, the BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh has arrested and detained several anti-dam........

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