The allegation and the government's forcefully going ahead with the proposed mega-dam project despite people’s objection clearly reflect the insensitivity and indifference of the government and NEEPCO on the environmental and developmental concerns of the indigenous peoples in the region, Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation (SIPHRO) said in a statement today. Secretary of the SIPHRO Lalremlien Neitham appended the statement.
“The government and NEEPCO are instead misleading the public on the proposed destructive project through false promises, militarisation, staged and restrictive public hearings that were held without free, prior and informed consents of the indigenous peoples,” the SIPHRO stated.
Calling the ‘insensitivity and indifference’ of the government and NEEPCO ‘absolutely inhumane, undemocratic and unconstitutional,’ the organization said the indigenous peoples’ have been marginalised.
“The indigenous peoples who will be directly and indirectly affected by the Tipaimukh Dam project were already left out and marginalized by the proposed project. As a result, they are unaware of the adverse impacts the project would have on them. The democratic process for delivering ‘free, prior and informed consent’ was totally absent. Moreover, there is no ‘active, free and meaningful’ participation from the public,” the Human Rights organization said.
The SIPHRO said is no identification of the people who would be affected by the project; no recognition of the survival and cultural uniqueness of the indigenous peoples who, along with their land and resources, would be affected.
“Monetary compensation was employed by the implementing agencies and dam builders as a method to win the consent and approval of the indigenous peoples in their pursuit to build the dam. Nothing about the proposed project is transparent or made accessible to the public. There is no assessment of the legal status of the indigenous peoples as reflected in the country’s constitution and legislation.”
The organization stated further that the adverse impacts of the Tipaimukh Dam project, whether short term or cumulative, have been seriously under-estimated. “Monetary compensation should never be employed to reduce and alienate the indigenous peoples from their land, rivers and natural resources,” the SIPHRO said.
The SIPHRO has declared that the Memorandum of Understanding between NHPC, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) and the Manipur state government is without the knowledge, consent, confidence, and approval of the Hmar people. Therefore, the organization said the MoU is declared null, void and invalid.
The organization has demanded that the government and the implementing agencies immediately and comprehensively adopt the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams.