New Delhi, May 26 : A group of people from Tawang today staged a protest here against setting up of “large” hydroelectric projects in the valley and demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of two persons in police firing on May 2.
“The death of Nyima Wangdi and Tsering Tempa in police firing on May 2 took place after the arrest of the local community’s leader Lama Lobsang Gyastso who heads the protest against construction of 780 MW Nyamjang Chhu power project in Tawang valley,” said Jampa Tsering, a member of Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF) which protested at Jantar Mantar.
There is a need of a judicial inquiry by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge to probe why police opened fire “without any warning” on the supporters of Lama Lobsang, he said.
Another SMRF member Lobsang Choedup alleged that the “large” hydro-electric power projects were not only damaging local ecology of Tawang but also removing sacred places of the Buddhist community.
“All our religiously sacred places are located where these hydro-power projects by PSUs and private companies are coming up. A large chunk of Tawang is already taken up by defense forces and government agencies, whatever is left for us is now being occupied by the power projects,” Choedup said.
Jampa said that the local community was not against development and hydroelectric power projects in the valley but “large” projects were not needed there.
The leaders of protestors also met the officials of Environment Ministry, National Human Rights Commission and ST Commission to “seek justice” for those killed in police firing, action against guilty officials and compensation to the kin of those killed and those who were seriously injured in the police firing.
