Tipaimukh villages want all MLAs out

Dimapur, August 14 (MExN)


Villages affected by the dubious Tipaimukh Dam today demanded Manipur’s entire “coolies for Delhi” 60 legislators to resign for failing to address the dam issue, for which, the villages said, there would be consequences for generations to come.

The Tipaimukh Dam Affected Villages Committee of Tamenglong today strongly condemned Manipur Legislative Assembly, for failing to take up debate in the just-concluded monsoon assembly and “leaving ways for New Delhi to decide the fate and future of Manipur.”

The villages said responsibility and accountability of the elected representative have been replaced by “a sense of servitude” and have been forced into submission and acting as “disciplined coolies of Delhi babus.”

The committee ridiculed Manipur’s MLAs: “The controversial damming of Barak River to contain flood water in Cachar Valley at the cost of Manipur and Mizoram have reached a new dimension. The British House of Commons did discuss the matter and asked the Government of India to down the damming project. Bangladesh has strongly objected and went event to the extent of sending their own parliamentary team to ascertain their apprehensions. United States of America and China too have responded for talks to resolve the conflict the dam has generated.

Whereas, these 60 odd MLAs of so-called Manipur state of India have no nothing to say!” The committee reminded the legislators that as elected representatives, their foremost obligation is to frame policies and laws that suit the people of Manipur.

They further added that it is the responsibility of the legislatures to ensure peaceful co-existence, ‘freedom from dislocations, displacement and ensure better life.’ “The very purpose of these 60 odd MLAs has been diluted, and has demeaned the office they hold,” the villages said, adding that the apathy is reflected in the “loud silence maintained by all the supporters of the CM even after the Tehelka exposure.”

Arguing with their points of contentions against the dam, the committee stated that in 1995, the Manipur Assembly learned that the proposed dam site falls under seismically active zone and that the environmental hazards to be caused is too heavy. Similarly, rehabilitation and resettlement packages are extremely inadequate. For this, the committee said, it had adopted a strong resolution opposing the damming of Barak River.

Also, in 1997, similar resolution was adopted. But on 9 January 2003, the committee noted, without taking into account the confidence of the house and people of Manipur, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Government of Manipur and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. then with NHPC. “In other words, the Assembly have never cleared the project which was earlier rejected on two counts,” the committee.

The committee has demanded that the controversial and anti-people Tipaimukh Dam Project must be scrapped otherwise the 60 MLAs must resign en-mass. “Let the Chief Minister and Power Minister lead the way. The committee will join hands with other would-be-affected communities and other organisations demanding for scrapping of the Tipaimukh Dam project,” the committee added.