Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Preventing construction of Tipaimukh Dam

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/06/08/news0531.htm

Md. Yamin Khan

The neighbouring country India has been directing forcible zeal to swallow Bangladesh through her hegemonistic policy in different ways since 38 years of our independence.

There are some references of Indian aggression over Ban..gladesh in the 38 years Construction of Farakka Barrage over the Ganges river defing the international river law; usurpation of Southern Talpatti Island, Berubari and Chhit mahals other of Bangladesh; Going on to construct the long barbed-wire in the border violating the international law; Border smuggling; Killing, ransacking, looting & raping of Bangladeshi citizens by the BSF invaders in the ,border; Instigation of the most wanted criminals and the separatist movement of CHT; Instigation of country wide series bomb-attacks by JMB in August 17, 2005; Instigation of the Banga Sena of kolkata to divide Bangladesh and build a "separate Bangabhumi government" consisting of 19th. districts under the banner of "Nikhil Banga Sanga" by RAW, and constru.ctiol1 of phencidyl industries in the border areas to destroy our young generations and so on.

As part of it, their avid has been looked at on our rivers.

The Indian hegemonists constructed the Farakka Barrage experimentally over the international river, the Ganges in 1972 CE and injected to sway over the Ganges by the Farakka BaITage unilaterally. As construction of the Faraka barrage, Sixteen districts of Bangladesh were dried up and turned into the desertification and destabilized the livelihood of the millions of people there. Consequently, the valiant leader Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani launched a historical long-march towards the death trap Farakka Barrage from Rajshahi in 1976 CEo A huge number of patriotic political workers took part in the long march. After that the late President Ziaur Rahman took active steps to solve the Frakka problem in the International Forum of the UN in that year.

After the Farakka Barrage India is now trying to construct the Tipaimukh multipurpose dam and phulertal dam on the cross boundary river Barak. It is their multipurpose intervention at the Tipiamukh on the river Barak, which will dry up the river Surma and Kusiara, kill the large river Meghna and the water-bodies in the north- eastern districts of downstream Bangladesh, upset the ecological balance and destabilise the fishing trade and the livelihood of the millions of people there. India intended to construct the Tipiamukh dam forcibly for setting up the hydro based electricity project at any cost. The Indian High Commissionar Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty recently gave a controversial statement: "Some political and social organizations are doing politics with Tipiamukh dam without any cause." The Minister of water affairs Ramesh chandra Sen stated, "After Construction of the dam, we will decide what to do." Some ministers reiterated the statement like the Indian High Commissioner.

Those ministers are termed as traitors through their anti-state remarks. The Alien forces brought the present grand Alliance government to establish the "Puppet Government." This puppet government is implementing the interests of Indian hegenony. When all the patriotic forces are protesting against the Tipiamukh dam, the present government keeps silence like Mir-Jafar, the commander-in-chief of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Hence there is reference that during the battle of plassey in 1757 CE, there were 54,000 native soldiers of Nawab forces and there were 3000 English soldiers of Clive forces. Those who were· patriots of 54,000 soldiers fought their best and tried to stem the English forces. Inspite of having 54,000 soldiers, the Nawab forces had to defeat due to the treachery of Mir-jafar. Because Mir-Jafar and his some companions kept silence and saw the Battle. In this way we see the activities of present government like Mir-Jafar. So, inspite of protesting against the Tipiamukh dam, We have to bear the stigma of defeat like plassey if the government does not initiate to thwart the Tipiamukh dam, When India will construct the Tipiamukh dam, the water flow of the Surma and kushiara rivers in Bangladesh would be reduced drastically in the winter and their would be flood during monsoon when the gates of the dam would be opened. It is indicated in the International river law of the UN convention, ~'None up-stream countries can deprive the river of the down-stream countries." But India wants to deprive rivers of. Bangladesh by constructing the Tipiamukh dam ignoring the international river law, which will incur our country into a huge economic and environmental losses. After that, one of the big rivers Meghna will lose its navigability. This Tipiamukh dam will be more disastrous like the explosion of the atomic bombs than the Farakka Barrage.

Hence, some zones of Bangladesh would turn in to desetiification by 2030 CEo River aggression can be solved through the international river law of UN convention. I want to give some references about it; i.e. Once the United States constructed a dam on the cross-boundary river, the coloroda near Mexico. Mexico wanted to snatch their river coloroda from the United State'*S-in the bi-lateral meeting. When failed, Mexico used the international Law in the UN convention and was able to snatch their coloroda river. Besides, France, Hungary and Slovakia solved the river problems through the international court. In that method, Bangladesh can solve her river Problems. As the Farakka barrage has caused desertification of 30 lakh acres of arable lands, the construction of proposed Tipiamukh dam will be contravention of our international' river politics and the environment. Ibn Abbas narrated that the prophet (Saw) Said:

"Muslims are partners in three things, in water, pastures and fire." reported by Abu Dawud. Anas narrated from Ibn Abbas adding, "It's price is Haram (forbidden):' The water in the Hadith is understood to mean the river. The river is the public ownership of the people. So the people will never give the alien forces to cause the desertification of our land by taking the water of our rivers. The present government should take active steps to discuss the river issue in bilateral meeting after taking suggestions from water and environment experts.If the issue can not be solved through the bi-Iateral meeting, the government should take it in international forum. Therefore, Bangladesh would win if the issue is submitted to the International Court. Due to construction of the Tipiamukh Dam, our independence, sovereignty and economic existence will be ruined. So it is very necessary to forge the national unity to thwart the Indian hegemony on our rivers. It is the duty of all to ensure survival of our rivers at any cost.

(Md. Yamin Khan, a first year student of Department of English (Honours), Govt Rajendra College, Faridpur)

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