Environmental activist Bhanu Tatak was stopped at Delhi airport on Sunday while en route to Ireland for a three-month academic program at Dublin City University, set to begin on September 9. Tatak, who serves as the legal advisor for the Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum (SIFF) and is the Director of the Dibang Resistance Collective, has allegedly been linked to criminal cases stemming from protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Activists see this action as arbitrary and a blatant attempt to criminalize dissent.
Civil society groups claim that a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against Tatak by police in Arunachal Pradesh, although no official documentation has surfaced to support this allegation. A lower court previously ruled in her favor, determining there were insufficient grounds for the charges brought against her.
In an interview with GPlus, a member of SIFF remarked, “This is harassment in the name of law. Bhanu is being targeted simply for advocating for indigenous people and raising concerns about the environmental impacts of large dam projects.” The refusal to allow her to travel has sparked backlash from activists, who argue it illustrates an increasing misuse of administrative and political power to suppress democratic rights. They are calling on the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Itanagar Superintendent of Police to lift the restrictions and restore Tatak’s right to travel.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/northeast/arunachal-environmentalist-bhanu-tatak-denied-travel-to-dublin-after-lookout-circular
Category: Northeast
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Publish Date: 2025-09-09 17:48:00
