Thaindian News

Itanagar, Dec 31 (IANS) The Arunachal Pradesh government Saturday urged New Delhi to impose a ban on the Krishak Mukti Samaj Samity (KMSS), a farmer’s group in Assam spearheading the anti-dam movement, for its alleged links with Maoists.

“It is now well established how the KMSS is working as a front for Maoists and even the state and central intelligence agencies have found the linkages between the KMSS and Maoists. It is in this context we want the central government to declare the KMSS as an outlawed group with immediate effect,” Arunachal Pradesh MP, Takam Sanjay told IANS.

The KMSS is spearheading a campaign against construction of the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project in Arunachal Pradesh, claiming that the dam would lead to adverse ecological impact in the downstream areas in adjoining Assam.

The KMSS in recent weeks resorted to road blockades in the Assam side, preventing vehicles carrying machineries bound for the power project site.

All vehicles travelling to Arunachal Pradesh has to traverse through Assam.

“The blockade by the KMSS is also affecting normal life in Arunachal Pradesh as movement of vehicles is hit and even patients for advanced medical treatment to Assam could not move out,” said the MP.

“Considering the fact that the movement by the KMSS is against the interest of national security we urge the centre to impose a ban on the organization,” he added.

A delegation of the Arunachal Pradesh government would soon meet the Prime Minister and the home minister in this regard.

The KMSS, meanwhile, threatened to launch an economic blockade on National Highway 52, the main lifeline linking Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of India via Assam.

“We shall definitely not allow anybody to enforce an economic blockade or disrupt traffic on the highway. If need be we shall use force to break such undemocratic means,” Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.

The nearly Rs.10,000 crore project that began in 2003 is mired in a blazing row with several environmental and pressure groups in Assam, making vociferous protests and demanding scrapping of the construction work citing adverse ecological and environmental impact in downstream areas in Assam.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed MoUs with several private firms for 10 major hydropower projects to generate an estimated 30,000 MW power in 10 years’ time.

The state, bordering Myanmar and the Tibet region, has the potential to generate an estimated 50,000 MW of hydropower.

Among the major projects currently being executed in the state are the Ranganadi project, the Subansari project and the Taloh power project.

Despite stiff opposition, the Arunachal Pradesh government is adamant on continuing with the construction of dams.