[Assam] [WaterWatch] Fwd: URGENT APPEAL

Chan Mahanta cmahanta at charter.net
Wed Dec 13 06:00:42 PST 2006


>Despite huge rallies and protests, the Indian 
>Govt has instructed the Manipur to innaugurate 
>the Tipaimukh dam project.
>
>I want to write the disadvantge of this dam to 
>the entire north eastern India and of late I 
>heard of some news that the electricity will be 
>carried to National Capital Delhi for the use of 
>developed cities.
>
>Give me some useful links to educate and prepare 
>one last fight from Manipur. Send some harm of 
>Tipaimukh dams pls.
>
mohen

Dear Mr. Naorem:

I am forwarding a piece written by Retd. Maj. 
Gen. S G Vombatkere. You may write to him 
directly to see if he can assist you.

Best.

Chandan Mahanta
St. Louis, USA

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>Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 12:31:57 +0530
>Subject: [WaterWatch] Fwd: URGENT APPEAL
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>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: S G Vombatkere 
><<mailto:sgvombatkere at hotmail.com>sgvombatkere at hotmail.com>
>Date: Nov 23, 2006 8:06 AM
>Subject: URGENT APPEAL
>To: oPRIME MINISTER Manmohan Singh 
><<mailto:manmohan at sansad.nic.in>manmohan at sansad.nic.in>
>Cc: jjECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY 
><<mailto:epw at vsnl.com>epw at vsnl.com >, 
>jjFRONTLINE 
><<mailto:frontline at thehindu.co.in>frontline at thehindu.co.in>, 
>jjOUTLOOK INDIA 
><<mailto:outlook at outlookindia.com>outlook at outlookindia.com>, 
>jjMAINSTREAM <<mailto:mainlineweekly at yahoo.com> 
>mainlineweekly at yahoo.com>, nnTRIBUNE 
><<mailto:editor at tribuneindia.com>editor at tribuneindia.com>, 
>nnTHE TIMES OF INDIA 
><<mailto:mytimesmyvoice at timesgroup.com>mytimesmyvoice at timesgroup.com >, 
>nnTHE STATESMAN 
><<mailto:thestatesman at vsnl.com>thestatesman at vsnl.com>, 
>nnTHE HINDU 
><<mailto:letters at thehindu.co.in>letters at thehindu.co.in>, 
>nnTHE ECONOMIC TIMES 
><<mailto:editet at timesgroup.com> 
>editet at timesgroup.com>, nnPIONEER 
><<mailto:pioneer at del2.vsnl.net.in>pioneer at del2.vsnl.net.in>, 
>nnNEW INDIAN EXPRESS 
><<mailto:bexpress at bgl.vsnl.net.in>bexpress at bgl.vsnl.net.in>, 
>nnINDIAN EXPRESS < 
><mailto:editor at indian-express.com>editor at indian-express.com>, 
>"nnHINDUSTAN TIMES(B)" 
><<mailto:editbombay at hindustantimes.com>editbombay at hindustantimes.com>, 
>nnDECCAN HERALD < 
><mailto:editor at deccanherald.co.in>editor at deccanherald.co.in>, 
>"oMIN of ENVIRNMT Minister, T.R.Baalu" 
><<mailto:mef at envfor.delhi.nic.in>mef at envfor.delhi.nic.in>, 
>oMIN of ENVIRNMT < 
><mailto:mef at menf.delhi.nic.in>mef at menf.delhi.nic.in>
>
>
>BY E-MAIL
>
>Major General
>
>S.G.Vombatkere, VSM (Retd) 
>475, 7th Main Road
>
>M.E (Struct), PhD (I.I.T), F.I.E (India), C.Eng 
>Vijayanagar 1st Stage
>
>E-mail : <mailto:sgvombatkere at hotmail.com> 
>sgvombatkere at hotmail.com 
>MYSORE - 570 017
>
>Tel : 0821-2515187 
>23 November 2006
>
>
>
>
>
>My dear, respected Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh,
>
>
>
>I write with deep concern about the contentious 
>Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project on the 
>confluence of Tuivai (Mizoram) and Barak rivers 
>in Manipur, for which you are scheduled to lay 
>the foundation stone on November 25, 2006.
>
>
>
>Surely you are aware that there is considerable 
>local opposition to the Project because of 
>displacement of large numbers of people, and 
>loss of their livelihood. Apart from that most 
>important and entirely valid reason, the 
>irreversible ecological damage that will 
>certainly result due to submersion and change in 
>the water flow downstream of the proposed dam 
>will impact first on the poor people of the 
>region.
>
>
>
>The conduct of the environmental public hearings 
>without giving full freedom to people to voice 
>their objections to the project has not been in 
>the spirit of justice or democracy but rather, 
>has been a sham exercise by centre and state 
>officials to satisfy the letter of the law but 
>not its spirit. You may not be aware that the 
>Public Hearing in Churachandpur on November 17, 
>2006 was held behind closed doors, allowing only 
>a select few to participate, and that the venue 
>was surrounded by armed security personnel while 
>massive protests were held outside the venue. 
>The public hearing held on November 22, 2006, in 
>Tamenglong, Manipur, was not much different with 
>regard to the intention of the officials. No 
>doubt your office will receive the message that 
>the Public Hearings were conducted normally and 
>that there were a few minor objections that were 
>answered on the spot, so that you may go ahead 
>and lay the foundation stone. I am therefore 
>sure that your advisors would have told you that 
>your laying this foundation stone (which, 
>incidentally, will make the decision about the 
>project a fait accompli) is completely in order, 
>and that you will get kudos for bringing 
>development to distant Manipur. But do please 
>note that until environmental clearance is 
>granted, it will not do the onerous post of 
>Prime Minister any credit if you lay the 
>foundation stone or in any other manner 
>legitimize the project.
>
>
>
>People who are displaced due to mega-projects, 
>howsoever "compensated", can never view the 
>State favourably, even though the project is 
>stated to be "for public good" or "in the 
>national interest". This is because the affected 
>people naturally feel that they should not be 
>forced to pay in terms of their property, 
>livelihood and their way of life for the benefit 
>of some other groups of people. In our 
>northeastern States, there is already much 
>social and political turbulence, and pressing 
>ahead with this project cannot in any manner 
>ameliorate the present precarious situation 
>maintained by military and police force. On the 
>other hand, it can only exacerbate it.
>
>
>
>As you are doubtless aware, before taking a 
>decision with such far-reaching adverse 
>consequences on the livelihoods and lifestyles 
>of Indigenous Peoples, an expressed and informed 
>consent from the people of such villages is 
>necessary. In the current case, such consent has 
>not been taken, and in many cases it has already 
>been denied. Do please verify this.
>
>
>
>The proposed 390-metre long, 162.8-metre-high 
>dam with installed capacity of 1500 MW of power 
>generation, will result in the total submergence 
>of a large number of villages. This will affect 
>more than 275 sq km of cultivable lands and a 
>total population of about 60,000. Majority of 
>those permanently displaced will be from the 
>Zeliangrong and Hmar indigenous peoples who will 
>be deprived of the right to their land, 
>livelihood, culture, forest and water. It would 
>not be unfair to ask where these displaced 
>people and people whose livelihoods are made 
>unviable (with no skills other than their 
>farming practices) will go if not to the slums 
>of towns and cities? It is highly unlikely that 
>they will say, "We happily give up our today for 
>the prosperity of urban people who need electric 
>power, and God bless India! Bharat Mata ki Jai!"
>
>
>
>The struggle against the dam, based on 
>substantive issues, is intensifying and it will 
>not do Manipur or India any great good by 
>forcing a project onto these people to satisfy 
>corporate interests. I will only mention the 
>main issues without elaborating on them. They 
>are:
>
>·         Undermining the rights of indigenous people.
>
>·         Contentious benefits from the project.
>
>·         Irreversible environmental damage
>
>·         Impacts on downstream Bangladesh, 
>complicating international relations.
>
>
>
>I therefore appeal urgently to you to not lay 
>the foundation stone, but on the other hand get 
>briefed about the true situation on the ground 
>by actually meeting affected people, since your 
>official channels of information are NOT 
>reliable to convey the mood of the people. 
>Officials themselves sit in offices and get 
>information and reports that they would like to 
>hear, and these are passed up the official 
>channels to your office. It is not for nothing 
>that Gandhiji travelled (3 rd Class!) all over 
>India to feel the people's pulse. I need hardly 
>mention that your name will be on that 
>foundation stone as a constant reminder to the 
>people of the region of the gross injustice that 
>the country's highest executive has perpetrated 
>upon them.
>
>
>
>With respectful regards,
>
>
>
>Yours faithfully,
>
>
>Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd)
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>
>__._,_.___
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