Villagers in Arunachal Pradesh have initiated indefinite, peaceful protests against the deployment of central security forces and survey teams for the proposed 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Additionally, there are ongoing territorial disputes between China and India, as China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet. India firmly rejects China’s claims and asserts that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
Amidst these circumstances, a video of a protest is circulating widely on social media. The video claims that the demonstrators are opposing the Indian Army and police in Arunachal Pradesh, demanding freedom and for the state to join China.
Let’s check the truth.
Fact check:
We started our investigation with a reverse image search on Google, and the results led us to a similar video uploaded on the Facebook account of Arunachal Headlines on 15 May 2026. The title states, “Massive Protest March Rocks National Highway Over ILP Issue.”
An Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document that allows Indian citizens to enter protected or restricted areas near India’s international borders. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland are the four northeastern states that require it.
Moving forward, we found a video report by Northeast Today regarding this issue, stating that protesters have resorted to stone-pelting and blocked National Highway 415 during a bandh in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR). According to the report, the Scheduled Tribe Bachao Andolon Committee (STBAC) had called the shutdown, demanding strict enforcement and complete digitisation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to curb illegal entry into the state.
The Assam Tribune reports that the STBAC called for the bandh and demanded that the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system be fully digitized and strictly enforced in order to prevent unlawful infiltration into the state. Along with advocating for the defense of tribal property rights and constitutional protections, the group also sought action against illegal immigrants, fraudulent ILPs, and irregularities in the permission process.
Taking account of all this evidence, it is clear that the viral video is a protest over the Inner Line Permit system in Arunachal Pradesh.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the video to be Misleading. The video shows protests over the Inner Line Permit system in Arunachal Pradesh.
Title: Video of a protest in Arunachal Pradesh goes viral with misleading claims
Fact Check By: Usha Manoj
Result: Misleading
