IMPHAL, February 3: Villagers affected by the Tipaimukh Dam today concluded a public meeting on UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples and Impact of Tipaimukh Dam on the environment with resolutions which included a demand for the Central government, Jubilant Oil and Gas Private Limited to stop all petroleum exploration and drilling in Manipur until and unless there is free, prior and informed consent of all indigenous peoples of the State.
The public meeting conducted at the New market Complex Nungba was organised by the People Action for Development, PAD NH 37 along with 12 villages of Nungba namely Rongdai, Thingou, Okolong, Khongsang, Taodaijang, Muktina, Muktikhullen, Puiluan (Kombiron), Taijei Kaiphun, Mukti Somjong and Siguilong.
The participants of the public meeting also demonstrated along National Highway 37 with banners in their hands demanding to call off the Tipaimukh Dam construction.
The resolutions which were put in a memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India also appealed to stop exploitation of the rights of the indigenous people in Manipur and the Northeast and for the Prime Minister to visit the region and witness the situation of the indigenous people.
The memorandum has also urged the Central government to adhere to the recommendation of the world commission of Dams and UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People before pursuing Tipaimukh Dam and to respect the recommendation of the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People in 2008. The memorandum has also urged the GoI to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 and to stop militarization in the name of development.
It has also pointed out that the requirement of 24,329 hectares of forest land for the project will destroy vast swathes of the forest and rare bamboo clumps on land that are used by indigenous communities for livelihood for many centuries which will never be able to replace.
According to the UNM-Mission project coordinator RN Boipu Koireng who was also present in the public meeting said that the proposed Tipaimukh Hydroelectric dam will submerge 227 sq km of prime forest land in Manipur that will destroy 82.47 lakh trees.
He added that Parbung Village is one of the affected villages and its villagers have already been displaced and scattered at different places. All these displaced villagers are yet unable to acquire any livelihood and as a result turning towards drugs and becoming anti-socials in the process, he claimed.
He said that the proposed Tipaimukh dam will not only submerge a large area of land but it will also largely affect the Zeliangrong community as the most affected land are inhabited by the Zeliangrong community.