Rajesh Kumar takes over as Arunachal Pradesh police chief following Siang dam protests

New Police Chief

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed Rajesh Kumar as the new Director General of Police for Arunachal Pradesh. Mr. Kumar is a 1995-batch Indian Police Service officer belonging to the AGMUT cadre. He takes over from SDS Jamwal, who has been transferred to Delhi. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Kumar served as the Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Hindustan Times - India, his repatriation from the CRPF to his parent cadre was cleared by the appointments committee of the Cabinet with immediate effect.

Background And Protests

The leadership change follows recent unrest in the State's Siang region over the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project on the Siang River. Local communities and sections of the indigenous Adi community have staged protests against the project, demanding accountability for police actions since October 23. More than 30 people were detained during violent demonstrations on October 23 and 24. Residents fear the project will cause ancestral village submergence, displacement, forest and agricultural land loss, and disruption of their traditional way of life. The Centre views the project as strategically significant to counter China's planned massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which enters India as the Siang.

Government Response

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has appealed to protestors to withdraw their 36-hour shutdown call in the Upper Siang region, stating that no decision on dam construction has been taken without consent. In an open letter, Mr. Khandu assured residents that concerns will be addressed through open dialogue and transparency. He clarified that the government is currently considering only a Pre-Feasibility Report to assess the project's viability.

Context

Changes in top police postings often follow major public agitations or law and order challenges in sensitive border regions. Large infrastructure projects in remote Himalayan areas frequently balance local environmental and displacement concerns against national security and strategic energy needs.