Tension prevailed in Assam on Monday when the police in a mid-night crackdown removed the anti-dam protesters who were blocking NH-52 connecting Arunachal Pradesh for the past one week in Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur districts of Assam.
The police acted soon after the anti-dam protesters, led by RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, threatened to launch economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh if chief minister Nabam Tuki and his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi do not stop construction of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydro-electric project.
As news of the police action spread, protesters gathered along the route to the Gerukamukh dam site and blocked all roads. The police restored to lathicharge and blank firing at a number of places since Monday morning to control the protesters. Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts had been shut down completely in response to Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and four other organisations’ call for 48-hour bandh that started on Monday morning. Earlier, in a joint statement the KMSS, Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), Takam Mising Porin Kebang, All-Tai Ahom Students Union and All-Deori Students Union said, “We will continue to block transportation of construction materials to the project site, the next phase of the agitation will be an economic blockade.” Following the protest, which started on December 16 in Assam, the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh had started facing shortage of fuel supply. However, the district administration has taken steps to facilitate supply of fuels to the neighbouring state, the shortage has not yet been able to overcome.