India Deploys Additional Security Forces After Himalayan Dam Protests Turn Violent
India deploys hundreds of extra security personnel to Arunachal Pradesh after violent protests erupt over a strategic mega-dam facing China.
POLICY WIRE — GUWAHATI, India — India has deployed hundreds of additional security personnel to its remote northeastern region following violent clashes between youth demonstrators and police over a controversial mega-dam project.
The unrest centers on the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh, an initiative intended to counter a massive Chinese hydropower development upstream. The river originates in Tibet as the Yarlung Zangbo before entering Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, becoming a major source of strategic anxiety for New Delhi after Beijing announced plans in December 2024 to construct the world’s largest hydropower dam.
More than a year of largely peaceful demonstrations erupted into violence recently, with protesters torching buildings and vandalizing property. Officials confirmed that approximately 40 police personnel sustained injuries during the escalating confrontations.
The tensions escalated further on October 4 when demonstrators resisting the infrastructure project were allegedly subjected to a lathi charge by police and paramilitary forces in Uggeng village. This law enforcement action followed earlier incidents in which protesters attacked a local lawmaker’s residence.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
