Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 14:
Even as a battery of anti-dam bodies have prepared to call a general strike on December 16 in protest against the Government's move to go ahead with the construction of the controversy-mired Tipaimukh Multipurpose Project, Hmar Students' Association (HSA) has spelled out its opposition to the indifferent attitudes of the Government and the project implementors on the same issue.
'Since November 1994,.we have been submitting hundreds of memoranda to the Central leaders and authorities of NEEPCO highlighting the concerns of the Hmar people who would be the direct suffers of the proposed Tipaimukh project.
But till now an explicit reply to any of the memoranda submitted have been received,' vice president of HSA Joseph Hmar rued.
Talking to The Sangai Express, Joseph who is current at Aizawl took serious note of, what is described as blissful negligence towards the plight of Hmar people and made it clear that HSA will nit allow construction of any step to construct the project without the consent of the Hmar people and redressing their grievances.
'For us Hmar people, it is not the project, but our future we are concerned about.
Our voice should not be set aside or rejected by any authorities and hence we will fight for out unfettered rights', Joseph said.
The issue of Tipaimukh dam should not be politicalised, Joseph said and advised all politicians not to use the issue as a toll for election campaign.
While reiterating that the consent of Hmar people in general should be taken before going ahead with construction of the dam, he warned that otherwise the Association would consolidate all its members for taking up necessary action.
He also asserted that the recent public hearing at Churachandpur was conducted under a deep conspiracy hatched by some politicians.
HSA has taken note of it very seriously, he added.