The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum Youth Wing (SIFFYW) has strongly condemned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for registering a case against Arunachal Pradesh-based environmental activist and advocate Bhanu Tatak, terming the probe a targeted attempt to harass and silence opposition to major hydropower projects.
In a statement issued on September 16, the youth outfit asserted that the authorities are seeking to criminalize Tatak—a key member and legal adviser of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF)—for defending indigenous rights, rivers, and ancestral land.
The group questioned the timing of the action, alleging that the probe is designed to fracture community solidarity across the Siang and Upper Siang districts, while demanding an immediate halt to the proceedings.
The CBI registered an FIR on August 20 against Tatak and unidentified individuals over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The agency claims that approximately Rs 20.94 lakh in overseas funds was wired to her State Bank of India account in Roing between 2022 and 2025 to finance agitations against the Siang Upper and Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Projects. Tatak has denied all allegations, maintaining that she is fully cooperating with the ongoing probe.
