Brahmaputra Declaration
- 1st July, 2023 , Guwahati : North East Dialogue Forum -

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Brahmaputra Declaration

Today, the 1st July 2023 on Saturday, the delegates from across the North Eastern States of India Solemnly make this Declaration namely “The Brahmaputra Declaration”

Background of the Declaration:

The minority ethnic indigenous population in the North East India has been confronting the challenges of marginalization by using different forms of racial discriminatory policy by the Government of India since 1949. The similar kind of acts were also committed by British colonization. The indigenous people in the region have been compelled to face the un-repairable harmful policy of transferring the population from the neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma (now Myanmar).

This could be witnessed in the case of Tripura wherein the Tripasha’s population is being overtaken by the illegal migrants which allowed transferring the population under a political project and similar pattern is being experienced in Assam. The state of Meghalaya is also receiving the same threat of population transfer from Nepal and Bangladesh while Manipur is facing the acute crisis of migration of Chin-Kuki, Bengali speaking people which threatens the indigenous people of their political and economic existence.

While the above facts are of the key concern, the economic interest of Government of India and corporates cannot be denied by the Indigenous Population inhabited in the region. As we learn in August 2021 the GOI announced that the NE India will be the hub for the production of palm-oil in India under the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

Way back before the North Eastern States was annexed to the Indian Union, British started extraction of petroleum products mainly from Assam which is now extended and maximized in terms of extraction of coal, oil and natural gas, platinum groups of elements and other mining of natural resources in various parts of the North Eastern states.

In Meghalaya, Union Ministry of Atomic Energy conducted and started the exploration of Uranium in 1992 but was discontinued due to strong opposition from the people of Meghalaya. Government of India in 2022 stated that 5 project to explore uranium will be started in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura. Similarly for the Palm Oil plantation, India will acquire 33.2 lakhs hectors of land from the North East Region.

This few facts worried the Indigenous people of NE India as this kind of unregulated development project will completely destroy the sustainable livelihood system of the people in the region. This have been witnessed in Manipur when NHPC/NEEPCO promised to the people of Manipur to provide electricity to all the villages by 1972 with an affordable price, however, 85,000 hectors of paddy field located in and around the Loktak Lake have been submerged and remained unused. The similar experience could be witnessed in Tripura due to Dumboor Dam.

Brahmaputra Declaration

Our experience of many project like Loktak Hydro Power Project in Manipur, Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur, Lower Subansiri Dam in Assam/ Arunachal Pradesh, Oil Exploration at Baghjan in Assam, Coal Mining at Oting area in Nagaland, Gas and Oil exploration in Tripura, Limestone mining for cement factory in Meghalaya, Uranium mining in Meghalaya, etc. failed to ensure the basic compliances, guideline and procedures of Domestic and International Laws.

So far, our field experiences are concerned there were no proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment, Health Economic Impact Assessment and Cumulative Impact Assessment were carried out. Any organization, activists, journalist, academic who argued to insure such compliances have faced illegal arrest, detention, harassment, threat, intimidation from the concern companies or authorities. Most of us attending this debate have faced such an act of attack including extrajudicial execution and attempt to murder. We are restricted to practice Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association and Assembly which are the violation of the constitution of India and International Laws.

India has been imposing the unconstitutional act the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act 1958 in the NE India without the consent of the Indigenous people. Under AFSPA, hundreds and thousands of our women have been facing mass rape, rape and murder in all the 7 states in the region. Thousands of our girls have been trafficked from the NE India to other part of India and South East Asian countries. Approximately 20,000 young civilians in the NE India were executed by the Indian Army and Para Military Forces in the name of counter insurgency under AFSPA.

The grave human right violation in the region is further reinforce by the act of narco-terrorism which is expanded quadrically from Golden Triangle to NE India, specially in Manipur. In Manipur, approximately 2800 hectors of land were under the cultivation of poppy in 2012 but it is reported by a police officer that approximately 60,000 hectors of land mostly in the forest were under the cultivation of poppy in 2021.

Due to many reasons but especially after Military Coup (2021) in Burma, huge numbers of Chin-Kuki community were compelled to migrate to Manipur and Mizoram to save their lives. But, the Government of India faced constrain to accommodate the refugees with recognition because India did not ratified the UN Refugee Convention of 1951. However, the brave leadership in Mizoram challenged the unrecognition of Chin-Mizo from Burma on the ground of sisterhood and brotherhood. It was unfortunate that Government of Manipur followed the conditions on the Refugee by India.

In early May 2023, the violent conflict broke out between Meitei and Kuki communities on the issue of recognition and non-recognition of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and further demanded for Separate Administration in Manipur. The delegation of today debate on conflict with the purpose to analyze the conflict between Meitei and Kuki, Kuki and Naga, Bodo and Adivasi, Assamese and Muslim and others from the perspective of the Definition of ETHNIC CLEANSING of United Nations.

UN Commissions of Experts defined ethnic cleansing in its term report S/25274 as "rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove persons of given groups from the area." and its final report S/1994/674 as “. The final report of the Commission described ethnic cleansing as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”

We, hereby declare and demand the following to GOI and International Communities:

1) To fully recognize the rights given under the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (2007) and urge the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on Promotion and Protection of Rights of Indigenous People to witness the human right violation being faced by the indigenous people in North East India (NEI).

2) Government of India to ratify the Convention of Refugees 1951 of the UN to facilitate the refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc. in NEI which can deal with refugees status where their basic human right like Right to Food, Right to Education can be ensured under the international laws.

3) To ensure the guideline and procedure of Free Prior Inform Consent, the impact assessment on environment, socio-economic, health, human right, cumulative prior to the of the development projects related to mining of minerals, construction of highway, railways, bridges, national parks, etc. in order to protect the environment and maintain sustainable livelihood of the Indigenous Peoples and ensure Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 of the UN which India has promised to fulfil to its citizen.

4) The Government of India to prevent and stop ethnic cleansing and killing of civilians between or among community including the ongoing violence between the Meitei and Kuki in Manipur. The Armed Groups under the Suspension of Operation to stop killing of people and revisit the obligation to protect civilians, not to use land mine, no child soldier as they signed three Deed of Agreement with the Geneva Call.

5) The Government of India and International communities to recognize the historical and territorial integrity of Manipur.

6) The Government of India, Manipur and International Community to communicate with the Special Rapporteur on situation of Human Rights in Myanmar to examine the operational procedure of Chin Defense Force (CDF) and use of sophisticated arms to defend democracy in Myanmar and in turn the arms are being used to the people in Manipur who are protecting and promoting democracy and integrity of Manipur. Demand the Government of India to invite the Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism, the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and the Members of UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination to visit Manipur and NEI at the earliest.

7) To remove Assam Rifles (AR) from Manipur and repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

8) To direct the SoO groups in Manipur to stop firing and freely allow the farmers to cultivate the paddy at this peak of cultivation.

9) To direct the Central Security Forces deployed in Manipur to stop inhumane act and grave human right violation carried out by the Rapid Action Forces and the Assam Rifles to civilians specially the women protester.

10) To remove the Central Security Forces stationed in the educational institutions and allow the students to attend the schools and colleges at the earliest.