The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh has issued notices this week to several government employees for allegedly joining protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and supporting the anti-dam movement.
They have been asked to show cause why they should not face disciplinary action for insubordination and misconduct under the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
Under the CSC Rules, government employees are barred from going on strike or criticising policies of the government.
The administration’s move in the tribal-dominated district has triggered concerns about “manufacturing consent” for the Upper Siang project which will require a go-ahead from the local gram sabhas under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Earlier, on August 30, the DC office directed government officials and Gaon Buras (village-level functionaries) not to take part in any demonstration, strike or activities against government policies and programmes.
The order came after NHPC Limited sought security clearance from the state government for mobilising drilling machines etc to commence survey work to prepare the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for the Siang Upper project near Geku village on July 20 and the state government initiated a security threat assessment on August 19, official records show.
The Extra Assistant Commissioner of the Geku circle issued the order on August 30, prohibiting anti-government activities. Asked what necessitated the order, the officer said: “The DC, in his wisdom, issued the order which applies to the entire district. I have only issued a replicate order for Geku.”
Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone on September 2, DC Hage Lailang described the order as “a routine reminder” for the staff. On why the Gaon Buras were included, he said: “They are paid by the government.”
On Friday, he did not respond to queries on the total number of show-cause notices issued since Monday.
According to the Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulations, 1945, the Gaon Bura is the most important village-level functionary of the government in Arunachal Pradesh. As representatives of the government, an official in Itanagar said, all Gaon Buras are bound by all instructions issued from time to time.
Among those who have been served the show-cause notice is a school teacher. Speaking to The Indian Express, he claimed that he was never involved in any anti-dam protest.
“I neither have any knowledge of nor any opinion about such issues. Last month, I went to attend a panchayat meeting where the project was to be discussed but the meeting was called off because there were not enough people,” he said.
Others, however, pointed out that their right to dissent as members of local indigenous communities was not subject to any service rules.
“Under the FRA (Forest Rights Act, 2006), no project can come up without our (gram sabha) consent. The educated members of our tribal communities are mostly in government jobs. Should we be forced under service rules to say yes to the dam? This is an attempt at manufacturing consent,” said an activist employed with the government.
Envisaged as a strategic project to counter China’s hydropower ambitions, the 12,500-MW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project faces strong opposition from the local Adi community. In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the state BJP leadership assured that the mega-dam project would go ahead only after consultations and obtaining consent of the people.
However, following a meeting chaired by the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary on July 18, an Action Plan for PFR with an Execution Schedule for core drilling work was finalised.
To mobilise machinery by August 31 “subject to consent/Security Clearance from” Arunachal Pradesh, NHPC sought “round the clock security at all work sites.”
On August 19, records show, the Special Branch (HQ) decided to “assess the security threat for survey and investigation/drilling works for the finalisation of PFR” of the project by August 21.
On August 31, the day after the DC’s order, hundreds of people joined a protest organised by the All Adi Welfare Society, the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum, and the Magong Banggo Students’ Union at Dite Dime, one of the three proposed project sites in the district.
