Imphal, July 28 2009: Comparing the proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Project to a war declared against indigenous Hmar people and various other communities who share the river, downstream as well as upstream, the Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) has raised strong objection against the project.

Its stance against the project would have been read loud and clear when it destroyed NEFPCO's drilling machine in 2008, said a press release issued by Lalthutlung Hmar of the HPC(D) northern command.

The power hungry Govts and dam builders in India, who were driven by capitalist interests, in their blind pursuit of profit making and securing energy in distant 'foreign land', did not have the approval and consent of the people in whose land the dam was proposed.

The rivers, Tuiruong and Tuivai, that nurse and feed our generations before, shall continue to flow for all generations to come.

We are obligated to see that no outsiders destroy or disturb the natural flow of the rivers", the HPC (D) said.

Asserting that Tuiruong and Tuivai rivers are central to the existence and survival of the indigenous Hmar people who are scattered in Assam, Mizoram.

Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya, the outfit claimed that these rivers weaved the Hmar people together.

"Our rivers do not flow to be dammed; our land and forest do not stand to be submerged; our people do not live to be uprooted and displaced.

There can be no compensation", the outfit said.

The outfit further pledged that it would fight till the end to see that the continuity and survival of these in valuable resources are not cornered to be at stake.

In a hard-hitting rhetoric, HPC (D) asserted that the Hmar people shall become martyrs to save these rivers.

It said, "we shall sacrifice our blood, bone and lives to seethe rivers flow along their natural courses".

The HPC (D) also appealed to the visiting Bangladeshi Parliamentary delegates to steadfastly share its concern to save Tuiruong and Tuivai rivers and to work together for collective good.

"We shall ever be committed to resist the destructive forces that go against the will of our people", it added.

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