Seven Mising youths from Assam have been rescued from a hydropower project site in Arunachal Pradesh’s Roing after allegations surfaced that they had been subjected to physical and mental abuse while being forced to work under harsh conditions.
According to a statement issued by the Shadia District Committee of the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), the youths, all hailing from the Amarpur area, had allegedly been lured with promises of employment by middlemen and engaged in culvert construction work under an Arunachal Pradesh-based contractor at the Lower Dibang Hydroelectric Project site.
The organisation alleged that the workers were kept in inhuman conditions and compelled to continue working for nearly three months. Following complaints from the victims and their family members, members of the TMPK and Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK) district committees launched a rescue operation on June 8 with assistance from TMMK Central Committee Assistant General Secretary Poonam Tayeng Morang.
Members of the rescue team claimed that the youths bore visible signs of physical assault, alleging that they had been beaten with iron rods. They further stated that the workers were frequently deprived of adequate food and made to continue labouring in extreme weather conditions, including intense heat and rain.
Describing the incident as deeply disturbing, the TMPK Shadia District Committee cautioned parents and job seekers against accepting employment opportunities outside the state without proper verification or through unverified agents and brokers. The organisation said it had encountered similar cases on several occasions in the past.
The incident has triggered demands for a thorough investigation and stringent action against those responsible for the alleged abuse and exploitation. Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
