A few musings on the concept of development and progress
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 01 2011 -

The Anal Naga Tangpi (ANTA) an apex body of the Anals has opposed the proposed Chakpikarong Multipurpose Project dam. It said it will not allow construction of the dam to take place.

In defence of its stand it said 32 upstream villages and over 100 downstream villages will be affected if the dam is constructed.

The ANTA further pointed out that over 3568.78 hectares of land will be submerged by the reservoir of the dam. Lastly it had mentioned that since Manipur lies in a highly active seismic zone, the idea of building the dam be shelved for good.

Twelve village chiefs who had appended their signatures to an agreement supporting construction of the dam were asked to withdraw their support, and they have done so.

There is already a well orchestrated movement against the proposed Tipaimukh high dam. In this case the objection has been focused on loss of forest cover and the danger such a dam would pose in our active seismic zone.

We should also remember the Thoubal Multipurpose dam has been opposed, as has been the Ithai barrage, Sekmai barrage and the Imphal barrage.

But what are the undeniable truths behind such moves?

First, let us separate the chaff from the grain. There are many politically motivated, biased and vested interests leading the charge against construction of barrages and dams.

Let us cast them aside for the moment and consider more on lines of arguments based on the environment. In Manipur's case the real impact one feels, will be on migratory fish which are unique to Manipur.

If we are to consider arguments to save forest cover and wild life, anti dam protagonists pay only lip service, but extend no concrete help to such causes, their protests run on a one way track, prevent construction of dams or bust. Simply put, the anti dam movements have political parvenus as their leaders.

It is these type of leaders who lead movements to provide protection to pavement squatters demanding permanent stalls for them in Khwairamband, conveniently avoiding to specify the site. It is these who protect squatters and encroachers, oppose widening of roads and act as moral policemen.

They oppose acquiring of lands to build institutions etc. meant for the general good, and yet in the same breath they will tell you how much such institutions etc. are needed. Championing obfuscation is their cause.

But to go back to our story. If the argument is that we do not need big dams to generate electricity, granted, that argument could hold. After all we can purchase electricity from the National Power Grid, only that we will have to pay through our noses.

The question is, what of drinking water and irrigation? The ample rainfall the state used to experience is steadily dwindling year by year. And what of the tertiary employment or income generating avenues to be lost?

Lastly, on the seismic zone factor. If the anti dam leaders are to be accepted than San Francisco and Los Angeles in the US needs to be shifted.

Japan needs to shift the entire nation as must Indonesia. And let us not forget Chile. These countries have all built dams on seismic fault lines.

But they don't listen to our anti dam leaders. Why don't they listen to our sages? Are they deaf or what?