Normal life hit in 2 Arunachal districts due to students' union bandh

Itanagar, Sep 22 (PTI) Normal life was affected in several towns of Siang and Upper Siang districts in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday as Adi Students' Union activists enforced a dawn-to-dusk bandh on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state's capital, Itanagar.

The bandh was called to protest against the state government's alleged lack of response to the students' union charter of demands about the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).

The shutdown was observed on a day when the prime minister unveiled development works worth over Rs 5,100 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.

Activists of the students' union burnt tyres in market areas and at the entry point to Siang district headquarters, Boleng town.

Vehicles were not seen plying on roads in the Siang belt, while markets, business establishments and private offices remained closed, officials said.

Protesters broke open the entry gate of the deputy commissioner's office and locked the premises, an official said.

Siang Superintendent of Police JK Lego said the protestors staged a dharna at the DC's office.

Police and paramilitary personnel deployed at the DC's office maintained restraint and ensured that the situation did not escalate, he said.

The protesters, however, did not cause any damage to public property, and later opened the lock, the SP said.

Lego said the shutdown was peaceful in other parts of the district.

Upper Siang Deputy Commissioner Talo Jerang said the bandh was peaceful in the entire district.

The shutdown was enforced in all the major towns, like Geku, Jengging, Mariyang, Tuting and Yingkiong, in the district, and ended peacefully without any law and order problem, he said.

People remained indoors as shops and offices were closed in view of the 12-hour bandh, the DC said.

Schools remained open as students were writing their half-yearly examinations, he said.

Adi Students' Union president Jirbo Jamoh thanked the people of Siang and Upper Siang districts for the success of the bandh.

The apex students' organisation of the community had urged the state government on August 25 not to conduct a pre-feasibility survey for the project until all the 31 villages in the two districts are convinced of the project's benefit. It also sent a reminder to the Chief Minister's Office on September 11.

They have also been demanding immediate removal of paramilitary personnel in the two districts, eviction of encroachment on government school premises in different parts of Siang district and revocation of the suspension order issued to eight 'gaon buras' (village heads) by the Siang deputy commissioner. PTI CORR BDC