Imphal, January 01: A public meeting held at Luwangshangbam Makha Leikai public ground today has given its unanimous verdict against construction of Tipaimukh dam project and continued imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in Manipur.

Organised under the joint aegis of United People's Front (UPF), Manipur and Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project (ACTIP), the meeting was attended by UPF president Th Mangi as chief guest and social worker M Ibochouba as president.

Former AMSU president advocate Y Priyokumar and social worker T Gulamchat were also present as guests of honour.

Addressing the meeting, ACTIP co-convenor O Bikramjit said preparation for construction of Tipaimukh dam is being made only after the Union Minister Santosh Mohandev prevailed upon the Prime Minister with the main objective of mitigating the problem of recurrent flood in the Barak valley of Assam.

While pointing that the State Assembly had taken a resolution against the construction of the dam when pressures were exerted on the State Govt from the side of the Union Govt in 1995, Bikramjit cited the example of Loktak Hydroelectric project to drive home the point of past instances in which assurances given to the people of Manipur for providing electricity and other benefits remained unfulfil while the neighbouring States reap all the benefits.

It is undemocratic on the part of the Govt to impose construction of Tipaimukh dam without understanding the aspiration of the people, Bikramjit said while decrying holding public hearing of the dam under tight security arrangement and without the participation of the people concerned.

Just a small part of Mizoram is going to be affected by the proposed dam, yet its people have unequivocally objected to the construction of the dam during the public hearing, he noted.

Instead of destroying the scenic beauty of the area and rare medical plants and forest resources including Bamboos, why can't the Govt think of setting up factories for utilising the bamboo products and the medicinal plants for the benefit of the people ?, Bikramjit questioned.

One of the chief functionaries of Citizen Concern for Dam and Development Rajesh Salam observed demerits of the dam far outweigh the projected merits of the proposed Dam.

It is a project which would never become a project of Manipur, though it would be constructed on its land, he remarked.

The meeting unanimously resolved to oppose construction of Tipaimukh in view of the destruction it would cause to the natural resources of Manipur apart from continued imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur on the pretext of counter-insurgency movement.

Comment