Recently, I read an article "Political innovation and inter-ethnic alliance: Kayapo resistance to the developmentalist state," by Turner and Vanessa [Anthropology Today, Vol 22 No. 5, October 2006]. The article deals with an exceptional exemplary of the indigenous peoples as political actors and as important and innovative cultural communities, not only at local but also at national levels.

The Kayapo are indigenous people occupying a large territory over the middle Xingu river valley in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Para.

As the article says: "In the recent years, however, the Kayapo and many other Brazilian indigenous peoples have discovered that the formal recognition of their territories as reserves does not mean that they are secure from massive intrusions by development projects directly instigated or fostered by federal and state governments - projects which would have, and in some cases have had, devastating effects on their communities and environment. To combat these projects the Kayapo reach out for support to non-Kayapo and other NGOs… In spite of mutual rivalry and distrustful Kayapa communities have come together in common campaign under unified leadership."

The article further emphasise that Kayapo and their allies insist that they are not opposed to development as such… but typical stresses big, capital-intensive infrastructural projects, such as giant hydroelectric dams and highways driven through fragile ecosystems in violation of the legal and human rights of local populations, without regards to the environmental damage and social disruption they cause.

Also, the policy and its associated ideology has come to be called "developmentalism" in contrast to other approaches to development that emphasis smaller-scale, local labour-intensive inputs and environmentally sustainable production.

Uniting Against the Common Enemy: Learn from Kayapo

Many writers have written about "good and bad" about big dam particularly the Tipaimukh Multi-Purpose Project in Tameng-long district of Manipur. No doubt, the dam is one of the major and ambitious projects in the region. The estimated cost of dam is about Rs 6714 crores and to be constructed on the confluence of the River Tuivai and Barak at Tipaimukh.

The end mean of the dam is the people of Tamenglong district not only losses and destruction of the properties but surrounding ecology and its cultural embedment. Activist Ms Aram Pamei writes: "The Zeliangrong people who live in these areas, like any other tribal people, do not lead an individualised commodity-governed of life but live in a well-knit web of community life. Their ancestral emotional bonds to their land, the mother earth, constitute their cultural and psychological frame of mind that they cannot be compromised or negotiated.

The submergence of the Ahu (Barak) waterfalls, the biggest and the most beautiful natural gift in Manipur, will destroy an important aspect of their heritage - the innumerable myths and legends, which are an inalienable part of their bank of memories, inherited through centuries." [Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XXXVI, No. 13, March 31-April 6, 2001]:

Comment on Tipaimukh Dam is never ending story. I am not geologist neither study environment but my concern is large-scale destruction of landed properties, forest and cultural root of the people when it is constructed.

One RS Jassal comments: "Finally let negativism not over power positivism. Let sacrifice by 14 villages act as catapult for regional prosperity of the entire State and Tipaimukh set an example of close inter and intra ethnic understanding on the road to peace and prosperity" [].

P Gangte said: "And the latest entry form into such activity is Tipaimukh Dam Project without caring to know what it is all about. It just happens to be sponsored by some Naga organizations with the help of some miscreant Meiteis; this must be supported to irrespective of the stand taken by others and the Government.

Ballooning of quantum phalanxes of 29 organizations in the name of an ACTIP cannot stand whimpering by some qualitative pricking of their bloated reasons! [Manipur: A land of Narcissuses, The Sangai Express, 14 December 2006]

Social organisations and environmentalists are strongly opposing the construction of Tipaimukh Dam. The same has been clearly shown when the organisations boycotted the so-called "hearing" for the dam. On the day of the hearing the district veterinary office was set ablaze by suspected anti-dam supporters. This explicitly manifests that locals are not interested in destructive-developmental work.

Above mentioned article articulately documented the whole process of movement and various meetings of the Kayapo and its ally communities. The author comments: "Before the Kayapo could hope to lead a united indigenous coalition to save the Xingu, they had to overcome their own internal divisions."

Kayapo leaders made a personal tour to all affecting region/villages and the main objective of the visit was to persuade all the communities to send representatives to upcoming Piacaru Meeting (2006). A week-long meeting endorse an unanimous consensus to begin organising a movement of all the "people of the Xingu" against the dams.

The speeches are invoked by singing "anger-songs," customarily sung when going into battle, and some warned that they would go to war if necessary to stop the construction of the dam.

In the Meeting, the war dance is performed during an interval in the speeches… The way the people of Kayapo struggle for territorial and cultural rights is very interesting. Their movement is not only concentrated on dam but uphold their traditions and customary rights.

Indeed, in the context of Tipaimukh-Dam, it is unfortunate that many social organisations belonging to different ethnic groups finds hard to get into a common platform to address the stand. At the same time, it find difficult to compromise certain political intervention and aspirations.

Nitin Sethi writes: "Social organisations, students unions and women’s groups often play the role of intermediaries. Even though they too are often divided along ethnic lines…" ["Fissured Land," Down to Earth, October 15, 2006]. Indigenous peoples’ livelihood and territory is often destroyed in the name of development.

No doubt, construction of Tipaimukh-Dam would have catastrophic effects on the riverine ecosystem; uproot historical and cultural foundation and livelihood of the people. Local people slogan "we want our land, not the dam" should be respected. This is their territory and cultural rights.

In such juncture, NGOs or other civil organisations’ intervention should be rational rather than political or ethnicism. Kayapo struggle is fine exemplary how the communities work together to fight against the common enemy.