The sudden spurt of violence in the agitation opposing the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh should be a matter of national concern for both strategic and environmental reasons. Authorities should note that a second flashpoint in a northeastern state — after three years of strife in Manipur — is undesirable. But embedded in the agitation are legitimate grievances of local residents — who fear ecological destruction — that deserve a patient and fair hearing.

At the heart of the dispute is the Siang — known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in China, before it meets other........

© hindustantimes