DHEMAJI, Aug 31 - The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) staged a sit-in protest at Dhemaji Court Field today against the mega dam construction at Lower Subansiri and demanded that flood and erosion be declared a national problem.
Several hundred members of the peasants� body hailing from Gogamukh, Dhemaji, Silapathar and Jonai took part in the protest.
The two-hour sit-in demonstration that began at 11 am continued till 1 pm.
The protesters vented their anger against the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other BJP leaders and alleged that the saffron party had gone back on its promises made before the election.
Talking to mediapersons, KMSS district secretaries Bhaven Haloi and Prasanna Bora alleged that Central BJP leaders who addressed an election rally at Gogamukh in Dhemaji district prior to the last election assured to close down the mega dam project in the north eastern States, but have reneged on their promises.
�We have renewed our ongoing strike against the conspiracies of the NHPC and betrayal of the State and Central governments. We will resort to a more vigorous movement against the authority concerned until the ongoing mega dam construction at Subansiri river is stopped,� Haloi clarified.
Referring to the recent disaster in Kerala, the KMSS leaders said that the water released by the mega dam constructed in Arunachal rivers will create deluge in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Majuli and Jorhat districts of downstream areas in the near future.
Earlier too, KMSS with support of various students� unions and community organisations of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts staged protest against the mega dam construction at the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Project site, which was ignored by the authorities on the pretext of talks with the agitating organisations.
Activists of AJYCP�s Dhemaji district committee also staged protest against NHPC�s mega project at Gogamukh on August 24 last. They blocked the national highway and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and NHPC officials and shouted slogans against the Government at Gogamukh Chariali.
