Arunachal court bails lawyer, artist arrested for ‘defacing’ govt mural with anti-dam message

“They have been bailed by the local court in Itanagar after spending two nights in police custody,” said Itanagar Capital Region SP Jimmy Chiram.

On Sunday, the Itanagar-based Mili and Assam-based Mahanta were booked under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, for allegedly drawing a resistance logo along with the words “no more dams” over a mural of a dam on the recently-created ‘Wall of Harmony’ art project celebrating 50 years of Arunachal Pradesh’s statehood.

Judicial magistrate (first class) Tenzin Metho of a court in Papum Pare district noted that both Mahanta and Mili were “prima facie” involved in the defacement. In the bail order, Metho directed Mahanta to repaint the portion of the wall which he had painted over by “bringing it back to its same form prior to the defacement”. Mili is required to assist and the entire exercise is needed to be completed within 10 days. The court imposed a bond of Rs 3,000 each in lieu of the bail and added that fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression came with “reasonable restrictions”.

“Even if both the accused convey their protests regarding the issue of construction of dams, there are several other modes of conveying their message but such defacement over a carefully curated painting at the state’s expense was certainly not the right forum,” the court said.

The duo’s arrest sparked an outage in both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Mahanta, a resident of north Assam’s Lakhimpur district, is a popular graffiti artist and illustrator whose creations adorn several public landmarks in Assam.

“This was an unnecessary arrest and an assault on freedom of expression. We are happy with the court’s decision,” said Mili’s brother, Madan.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Arunachal Pradesh government spokesperson Bamang Felix in a press statement had said that the arrests did not “pertain to any kind of anti-dam or any other protest.”

It added: “In the present case, it must be understood by all that the arrests made are not of any protestor but of two individuals, who have defaced a public property, which calls for legal action under relevant sections of the IPC and PDPP Act.”

Arunachal Pradesh is the site of several contentious hydroelectric projects which have been opposed by several sections of the state’s civil society over the years. The mural of the dam, among other motifs, was painted as a symbol of infrastructure development in the state as part of the ‘Wall of Harmony’ project.

The project was recently completed by 12 young painters and artists to “capture the state’s historical journey over fifty years” by showcasing its diversity and heritage.