- Local indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly along the Siang River, are strongly opposing the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. - Residents fear massive displacement, loss of ancestral lands, destruction of sacred sites, and ecological devastation. - Geopolitical arguments involving upstream Chinese infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo are countered by local stakeholders who argue that a massive dam will submerge their own lands and communities rather than protect them. - The project highlights the persistent tension between large-scale developmental/strategic energy infrastructure and the rights, livelihoods, and cultural identity of indigenous hill communities. **Introduction** An analysis of the resistance by local indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed massive Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. The project, touted as a strategic counter-measure against upstream Chinese dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo, faces deep local opposition due to impending mass displacement, ecological ruin, and loss of ancestral homelands. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - Local indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly along the Siang River, are strongly opposing the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. - Residents fear massive displacement, loss of ancestral lands, destruction of sacred sites, and ecological devastation. - Geopolitical arguments involving upstream Chinese infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo are countered by local stakeholders who argue that a massive dam will submerge their own lands and communities rather than protect them. - The project highlights the persistent tension between large-scale developmental/strategic energy infrastructure and the rights, livelihoods, and cultural identity of indigenous hill communities.