KANGPOKPI, March 24: A mass rally on `Climate Change and Water`™ was organized today at Senapati DHQ by Senapati Karong Area Women Welfare Association.
The mass rally participated by more than 500 women including all unit members of SKAWWA and various CSOs leaders apart from Jiten, secretary, Centre for Research & Advocacy, Manipur and Joyson Mazamo, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) has been flagged off by Dominic Azuna, president, Senapati District Students`™ Association (SDSA) at Senapati bridge.
The rally marched towards the central traffic point and proceeds to the northern entry point of Senapati Public Ground where public gathering on the Climate Change and Water has been critically discussed.
In her keynote address, D Daileeru, president, Senapati Karong Area Women Welfare Association lamented that the ongoing pursuance of India`™s National Action Plan on Climate Change and by the state pans in respective states involves clear processes of pursuing corporate agenda of carbon trading with either no consultation or limited consultation.
However, in all these, there is clearly no process to consider suggestions to opt for real solutions, such as promoting the low carbon oriented way of life of many indigenous peoples she added.
She continued that there is little scope to participate and seek redress at the decision making processes on clearing CDM project at both the national and CDM board level where as there is also no process to conduct a holistic impact assessment by the projects and to comply with human rights standards before adding that for the communities, especially indigenous peoples living and depending on forest for their survival, this exclusion is serious violation of the UN Declaration on the rights to Development and the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
An assessment of mega dam projected as clean source of energy under CDM by various dam in India`™s North East has revealed serious human rights violations alleged the SKAWWA supremo while adding that many of these dams such as the 1200 MW Teesta III, 105 MW Loktak Project had already led to widespread displacement, destruction of livelihood source of communities and loss of endemic flora and fauna, which constitutes a clear violation of `Right to Life`™ as outlined in UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights other than UNDRIP.
While highlighting numerous negative impacts on various issues in construction of mega dams in Manipur D. Daileeru asserted that it is high time to uncover the practical challenges of implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA) which can serve as a strong deterrent against destructive development processes for communities hell bent on defending their land and forest against any forced diversion as the act elucidates the need to take `consent`™ of communities affected by such decisions through their traditional institutions.
Respecting communities`™ intrinsic survival rights and dependence on forest is the most fundamental need of the hour emphasized SKAWWA President while adding that community not only survives through inherent relationship with forest but they are also the best guardian of forest.
She also cautioned that the Forest Rights Act (FRA) should rather be a process to recognized collective rights over land and resources and not to undermine it while adding that it is more applicable in North East India where indigenous communities have collective ownership of their land and where their survival and way of life revolves around such land ownership pattern.
Speaking at the gathering Jiten, Secretary, Centre for Research & Advocacy, Manipur stressed the need of consultation on the part of the communities when any developmental program is to be implemented while adding that it is also equally crucial on the part of the communities to decided whether such developmental project could be a real benefit or a huge loss.
He pointed out that the plan to build various mega dams in Manipur becomes fraught with the absence of consultation and taking the free, prior and informed consent of communities to be affected by such mega dam projects.
He further pointed out that the Ithai Barrage of Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Projects already devastated the Loktak Wetlands ecosystem and destroyed the livelihood source of fisher folk and farmers of the state by submerging more than 80,000 acres of farmland while the ongoing Mapithel dam construction will destroy more than 1000 hectares of agricultural land and forest in Mapithel hill range and the proposed 1500 MW Tipaimukh dam will also submerged more than 27,000 hectares of forest land while displacing several thousands of communities.
He also alleged that the construction of mega dams in Manipur is fraught again with failures and under performances while pointing out that the Khuga Dam which intends to generate 1.5 MW and provide irrigation to 15,000 hectares of agricultural land in Churachandpur has long failed to generate a single unit of power while the 750 KW power generating unit of Singda Dam lies rusted in the immediate vicinity of the dam failing to generate a single unit of power since its commissioning.
`Why should indigenous peoples of Manipur sacrifice their land, forest and other survival sources for unsustainable project while introspecting the underperforming dams in Manipur?`, asked Jiten.
It is pertinent to note that the hidden agenda of those with high interest on forest, of corporate bodies interested in mines, to build dams or to trade the forest for rich profits in carbon trading mechanisms where forest dwellers are left at sea to even understand the process asserted Jiten.
Joyson Mazamo, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights also stressed the need to safeguard and protect the indigenous peoples land, forest and other survival sources in the meeting.
The rally displayed placard reading, `Implement Action Plan on Climate Changes`™, `Respect the Rights of the communities over the resources`, `We oppose Chakha-Khongnem dam construction`, `Revoke MoU on Chakha-Khongnem Dam between NEEPCO and Govt. of Manipur`, `Go Back NEEPCO and NHPC`, etc.