ZB against oil exploration
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 24 2018: The Zeliangrong Baudi Assam, Manipur and Nagaland (AMN), Zeliangrong Youth Front, Zeliangrong Students' Union Manipur and other social leaders held a meeting condemning the oil exploration activities carried out by Asian Oilfield Services Limited in the State, particularly in Tamenglong district allegedly without prior and informed consent of the people.

A press release issued by the general secretary of Zeliangrong Baudi AMN, alleged that some unauthorised organisations like Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation (RNYO) and Rongmei Students' Organisation (RSOM) approved Asian Oilfield Services Limited to explore oil and mineral resources in Tamenglong district for a period of one year without any prior inormation or consent from the landowners concerned and claimed that in the context of the Zeliangrong community, no individual village or civil society has the right to issue permit to any company to tap the mineral resources within the jurisdiction of its ancestral land.

Questioning the validity of the RNYO and RSOM, it claimed that no one has the power to permit/allow any company to mine the natural resources from the Zeliangrongs' ancestral land and added that the Zeliangrong people should collectively defend their land and resources for their posterity.

Urging the Zeliangrong people to refrain from extending any kind of cooperation to organisations such as RNYO and RSOM which sell away the land and the resource without thinking about the future of the people, it claimed that RNYO and RSOM are frontal organisations of the Rongmei Naga People' Organisation (RNPO) and RNPO and RNC's roles are questionable.

Zeliangrong Baudi AMN warned Asian Oilfield Services Limited or any other company/agency which come to mine the natural resources on the basis of permission issued by unauthorised and non-mandated organisations, in the ancestral lands of the Zeliangrong people, will have to face the risk/be responsible for any possible consequences.

It also warned the people from harbouring any kind of support for the said organisations in the future.

On the other hand, the association also urged the Zeliangrong people living in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland as well as other parts of the country to observe the last Sunday of February every year, as the Zeliangrong prayer day for maintaining unity and integrity of the people.

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