Tipaimukh Dam: Development or Destruction
Part - 2

By David Buhril *

The "development projects" that are damming the rivers of the North East has inevitably come to be a part of the larger global discourse about large dams. This series of article looks into the complexities of Tipaimukh dam. David Buhril wishes to thank Panos South Asia for supporting this research initiative.

Leaving out the indigenous population from the necessary framework of "free, prior and informed consent" the Government of Manipur and NEEPCO are heading for aggressive development in Tipaimukh.

The dogged efforts exerted by the Government of Manipur and North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) to dam Tuiruong (Tipaimukh) and Tuivai rivers for the Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Multipurpose Project has come to represent development aggression.

The aggressive character have today been affirmed by the Government of Manipur decision to militarise Tipaimukh. Much before the environmental clearance was given, the Government of Manipur decided to open security posts at seven kilometers intervals along the 99 km stretch of Mon Bahadur road, which is to be used for movement of materials required for the construction of the controversial dam.

A total of 15 posts of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) will be initially stationed to provide security for the movement of officials of NEEPCO, the implementing agency of the project.

Moreover, the Union Government had already promised a Rs 400 crore security cover for the proposed project. For the military station, villagers of the doom- bound Sipuikawn, which will be submerge by the dam water were made to allot land at the top of the hill.

"We heard that they would be coming in anytime soon. They have chosen the highest point of our hill. I think the dam water would not touch them while our village is predicted to go under water", Rorel of Sipuikawn village said.

In the absence of "prior and informed consent", the Tipaimukh villagers are cornered to fend for themselves. They have no institutional support to enforce their rights and interest.

Moreover, there is no accountable governmental body to enforce the rights of the people who would be affected by the project. In the face of that, the supposed protective charters, legislation and principles remain theoretically oriented rather than pragmatic.

A minor section of Tipaimukh villagers took part in the one and only "public hearing" that was conducted in Tipaimukh on March 31, 2008. The villagers were treated with brusqueness. Many of the participants came to know about the hastily conducted "public hearing" by word of mouth that was milling in the villages.

"The hearing was called at such short notice that we were left with no time to prepare ourselves. As the bamboo flowering has brought us immense misery, many of us did not have the money to go all the way to Tipaimukh for the purpose. I also went, but it was a messy and confusing affair.

The Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur district who arrived with a good number of security forces exercised patronising and dictatorial attitude. Majority of us did not understand what they were lecturing as they spoke in languages that was foreign to us.

If the authorities thought they were conducting consultation, I must say that was a big mistake. They never get to listen us out as none of us spoke. They handpicked few pro-dam speakers and that was how it vainly ended. Not a big deal", Lalsang of Parbung village said.

The Government of Manipur did not seem to see any reason to consult the Hmar people who would be severely affected by the dam. It is evident that the requirement for an informed and prior consent is merely taken as a procedural affair.

This necessitated the need for activating the framework for assessing the risks involved and recognition of the tribal peoples rights in accordance with their customary and traditional law that was assigned a higher pedestal than the law of the land.

The uninformed villagers were told that the project was conceived by the Government and that the project would go ahead regardless of their opposition. Tipaimukh villagers were made to feel like squatters on their ancestral land. The overt aggressiveness is seen by many as a tactic to further made the people helpless; to compel them to give up their land for the project to take shape.

This has immensely put a pressure on the villagers who were also frequently baited by the promises of contract, job, compensation, employment prospects and promises of everything that is missing in their lives. "For a deprived community who are already suppressed with high-handed policies and decisions, the political motives are not people centred and there is no trace of us getting the proclaimed benefits. The dam will be the biggest trap in our lives", a mission teacher said.

Apprehension has caught the Tipaimukh villagers imagination in the absence of transparency. The project had once fragmented the fringe society creating a minor class of pro-dam and the left out majority who are totally opposed to the dam. However, slowly, the looming ambiguities that has been playing with their ancestral land has pulled them together with a collective quest for securing their rights and land.

This has resulted in the conflict of interest where the State interpretations of development did not seep in easily despite the money spill in the already investment stage that the project has entered.

job, compensation, employment prospects and promises of everything that is missing in their lives. "For a deprived community who are already suppressed with high-handed policies and decisions, the political motives are not people centred and there is no trace of us getting the proclaimed benefits. The dam will be the biggest trap in our lives", a mission teacher said.

Apprehension has caught the Tipaimukh villagers imagination in the absence of transparency. The project had once fragmented the fringe society creating a minor class of pro-dam and the left out majority who are totally opposed to the dam.

However, slowly, the looming ambiguities that has been playing with their ancestral land has pulled them together with a collective quest for securing their rights and land. This has resulted in the conflict of interest where the State interpretations of development did not seep in easily despite the money spill in the already investment stage that the project has entered.

To be continued...

Also read Opinion on Tipaimukh Dam here.

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* * David Buhril, a research scholar in JNU & a Ramnath Goenka Journalism Awardee contributes regularly to e-pao.net. The writer can be contacted at davidbuhril(AT)yahoo(dot)com
This article was webcasted on February 13th, 2009.

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