Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum backs Siang Valley opposition to mega dam, urges respect for village councils
Nagaland-based forum urges authorities to respect decisions of traditional institutions, citing the Adi community’s right to protect ancestral land and rivers
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum (NCCAF) has expressed solidarity with the people of Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh over their opposition to the proposed mega dam on the Siang River, urging the authorities to respect the decisions taken by village councils and traditional institutions.
In an open letter addressed to the people of Siang Valley, the forum said it was deeply concerned over the situation in the region, including reports of restrictions on villagers, the detention of young people and the difficulties faced by farmers during the harvest season.
Extending its support, the NCCAF said the concerns of the Siang Valley people resonated with communities in Nagaland, who also understood the challenges of protecting ancestral land and natural resources.
"We feel your pain as if it were our own, because in many ways it is," the forum stated in the letter.
The forum said the people of Siang Valley were asserting their fundamental right to decide the future of their land and natural resources, highlighting the role of traditional village institutions in conservation and community decision-making.
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It cited the efforts of the Adi community, stating that village kebangs had taken measures to protect forests and rivers.
These included prohibiting hunting and fishing using explosives, poison and electric current, while villages such as Gobuk had shifted their focus from hunting to conservation.
Referring to the community's position on the proposed dam, the NCCAF highlighted the decisions taken by traditional institutions.
It stated that the General Bogum Bokang Kebang at Geku, in August 2025, declared the Siang River as 'Aane Siang', or a goddess river, and adopted a resolution opposing the proposed dam and its pre-feasibility survey.
It also referred to a March 2026 resolution by the Ramku village kebang, which stated that no individual acting without the authority of the village council could speak on behalf of the village.
Emphasising the importance of traditional decision-making systems, the forum said the kebang represented the collective voice of the Adi people and should not be replaced by household-level signatures or endorsements obtained from a few individuals.
"Signatures gathered household by household, or from two residents on behalf of a whole village, cannot take its place," the letter stated, cautioning that such practices could create divisions among villagers.
The NCCAF also rejected the notion that opposition to the mega dam amounted to a rejection of development. It pointed out that the same kebang which opposed the proposed project had expressed willingness to welcome smaller dams on the tributaries of the Siang River.
"You are not turning away from the future. You are asking to choose it yourselves," the forum stated.
Appealing to the authorities, the forum urged them to listen to the people of Siang Valley through their traditional institutions and respect their collective decisions.
"A 'no' given by a people through its own council is an answer to be respected, not an obstacle to be worked around," it stated.
The forum also expressed solidarity with families awaiting the return of their loved ones, adding that communities across the hills of Nagaland stood with the people of Siang Valley in their efforts to protect their ancestral land and river.
Further, the NCCAF said the Siang River should continue to flow freely for future generations, expressing hope that the rights and concerns of the local communities would be respected.