CBI probes illegal funding claims in Arunachal SUMP protests
Big protests have broken out in Arunachal Pradesh over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and now the CBI is looking into claims that some anti-dam figures, including legal adviser Bhanu Tatak, got illegal foreign funding to fuel these movements.
Things got tense in Pasighat this October as demonstrations turned violent.
Local groups like the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum are leading the charge, worried that the massive NHPC dam project could force between 1 and 1.5 lakh residents from 27 villages off their ancestral land.
Officials cite Siang for water security
The government sees the Siang project as crucial for India's water security, especially with China building its own mega-dam upstream.
Officials say investigating possible foreign influence is about protecting India's territorial and water security and making sure India's river resources stay secure.