Silencing Dissent: Arunachal activist airport detention sparks alarm
Guwahati: The detention of environmental activist Bhanu Tatak says there is "something wrong" going in the valley of first sunrise.
In a move widely condemned as a blatant attempt to muzzle environmental activism, Tatak, a prominent Arunachal Pradesh activist, was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday and barred from flying to Ireland.
Immigration officials cited a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the state police, igniting outrage and fears that Northeast voices are being deliberately silenced to prevent them from reaching global forums.
Tatak, an Adi indigenous woman and legal advisor to the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), was scheduled to begin a three-month academic programme at Dublin City University on September 9.
Also Read: Arunachal: CM Pema Khandu honors 1962 war heroes at Helmet Top Memorial
She has been at the forefront of opposition to the proposed 11,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a mega-dam on the Siang River that activists warn could devastate ecosystems, displace indigenous communities, and erode cultural heritage in one of India’s most biodiverse regions.
Confirming the LOC, Inspector General of Police (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa said Tatak faces 10–12 cases linked to anti-dam protests, including allegations of inciting violence and leading mobs against a cabinet minister. He declined to provide further details.
The sudden detention, imposed without prior notice, has drawn fierce criticism. Youth Congress general secretary Tai David termed the action “arbitrary and condemnable,” asserting: “We live in a democracy where individual rights must be upheld.
Also Read: Arunachal woman dies at TRIHMS, family claims medical negligence
Attempts to silence dissent will not prevail.” On X, human rights lawyer Ebo Mili questioned the legality of the move, asking: “How could the SP or IGP authorize an LOC against Bhanu Tatak? The Arunachal Police must be held accountable.”
Rights groups, including Fridays For Future India, accused authorities of weaponizing “false complaints” to target young defenders of the environment, calling for immediate intervention.
Many argue Tatak’s Ireland trip could have amplified SIFF’s warnings internationally, placing the controversial project under sharper global scrutiny.
As work on the SUMP inches forward, Tatak’s detention underscores a troubling pattern: the criminalization of activism in the name of development.
Critics fear this signals a deliberate attempt to insulate major projects from dissent, effectively isolating Northeast India’s environmental concerns from international discourse.
However, the incident is ready to get international attention as the global warming and climate change is a share disaster on the planet Earth for one and all.