Hydrocarbon exploration in Zeliangrong area: A national issue

Jimmy Pamei *

The indigenous people residing in Zeliangrong and Churachandpur area have no satellite or other resource mapping devices and technology. Those who have the technology have scanned the area and found huge reserves of oil and have invited the MNC (Jubiliant Oil & Gas Pvt. Ltd, Holland base Company) to exploit this oil.

And the incomprehensible part of this story is that the democratic government of Manipur, or India did not take the prior consent of the indigenous people in these areas before the survey began. They only bribed some village chiefs and other frontal organizations to get their consent for their exploration activities.

They must have paid some lakhs of rupees to them. Now 'Public Hearing' is scheduled to be held this July 2012 at several places. Many experts hint that this 'hearing' will be just a namesake, to get environment green card.

Irrespective of the majority voices the company and the state government will try to push forward even by staging a mock 'Public Hearing'. The public must be aware of this kind of policy and tactics used by big entrepreneurs, politicians and the phony public leaders.

The articles, documents, pamphlets and other journals on this oil exploration published by the Government and the Jubiliant Oil Group and their subsidiary organisations contain full of jargons and technical terms that even a educated person find it challenging to digest its content. Though some of this content has been translated into local languages, there is none available for those locals who will directly be affected.

For example, there is no translation into Zeme or Liangmai languages though many of them are going to face the consequences. English version or Manipuri (Meitei Mayek) are of no use to them. Further, the names of oil wells and its assigned numbers are so confusing.

In their illustration map a well may be numbered, but the names of the village/area are not indicated against it and vice-versa with the table list. These may have been expressly done to make the matter obscure to the public to evade resistance.

Some illiterate village chiefs were convinced to give their consent when enticed with some lakhs of rupees to give consent for exploration activity. But it is a shock to learn that some Naga leaders and seemingly responsible organizations who supposedly are the 'protector of the Motherland' have peddled their signatures to oil exploration virtually selling off our land for mere lakhs of rupees.

A pound is traded to gain a penny. Nation's interest should be above one's immediate gain.

Here are some facts about our hydrocarbon resources and its related issues:

1. The Zeliangrong area in Manipur, referred to as Oinamlong Anticline, has 3850 Sq.Km land area of Oil Reserves, with proposed 13 Wells. In Churachandpur 17 wells are proposed.

2. The oil reserves in our Zeliangrong areas are so vast that if 13 elephant size pipes were to suck oil from underground for 24 hours a day it has enough reserve for about 30 years.

3. About 6-8 hectares of land must be fenced as protected area from within your village boundary by the Company to set up oil-well, office and other infrastructure.

4. The above mentioned oil reserves are worth more than thousands of crores of rupees. Considering the human and environment value this area cannot, and must not be sold off, even with the knowledge of the general public. All the Esaus who have sold their birthright must revert back their actions immediately.

5. Even if Oil is found under your village, the drilling well infrastructure may not be set up there itself. For example oil reserve found below Kaikao village may be drilled and sucked from Khongsang or Rengpang well. Or the Oil of Saramba may be sucked from Jiribam Well. This is because the oil under the earth is spread like a lake or a river. Therefore every village should be aware of their resources and defend them.

6. If Oil Exploration exercise begins, there is sure to be Oil Spill due to accident, corrosion of pipelines, poor maintenance or due to oil stealing activities. And the oil spill will spread over hundreds of acres of land rendering its soil useless for plants and animals to grow for hundreds of years. If the spills are washed to the water bodies all the living things in it will perish. This means the birds, insects and mammals in this area will just die out. Farmers will have to find other parts of land for their agricultural activities. If there is no more land, they have to become refugees in their own land. This is what happened in Niger Delta region when the Oil Company began extracting oil. They became poorer day by day though they have rich oil resource beneath their feet.

7. Though the Govt. of India and the Manipur State Govt. have signed the Contract with the Jubiliant Energy group basing on the legislation that Hydrocarbons (oils and flammable resources) resources are under the Union list, this provision completely contradicts the provision of the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples which mentions clearly that all resources in the indigenous peoples land belong to them and they have exclusive rights to own, control and manage their own resources in accordance with their wishes and aspirations. So we still can contest this issue out.

8. The Indo-Naga Peace Talk has been going on for about a decade. But do we get anything substantial from the Indian Government? The GoI knew that giving the Nagas any form of sovereignty or alternative arrangement means dropping control over this precious resource. See how this Peace Talk has dragged on for years. It was already in the year 2003 and 2009, the GoI had undertaken a comprehensive promotional exercise to promote the oil blocks through Road-Shows at New Delhi, London, Houston, Calgary and Perth, inviting bids for Oil Corporate bodies for explorations. The Indian Govt. must have this oil knowledge even decade before the actual Peace Talk or Ceasefire began. Do we now see one reason why this Peace Talk have remained inconclusive, and procrastinated?

9. Hydrocarbon is a national wealth and is a pride of Naga as a whole. This is a national issue very sacred and too precious to be traded off frivolously. A nation's economy depends very much on hydrocarbon resources. So it is as much a part as the sovereignty issue. Our freedom movement objectives are for freedom and self-reliance factor stemming from resource such as this.

10. Manipur is a land of corruption, nepotism and favouritism. Hence the rich businessman can exploit the people with money power. The ignorant people may sell off their precious God-given land for few lakhs or crores of rupees when lured by these rich businessmen. Therefore, the public leaders and the literate or the social workers have the responsibility of bringing about awareness of this issue to the whole citizens. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1929-97).

11. With the installation of all these Oil Exploration activities, armies will be stationed around places to protect the infrastructures and officials. This Army will definitely impose many rules and restrictions to the local people. The Armed Forces Special Power Act may frequently be applied to the detriment of the status of the civil, women and children. Also there is a good chance of local militia and gang formation in and around this industrial area to gain dominance, influence and control some parts or section of the community.

12. It is high time the people of Zeliangrong and those in Churachandpur join hands and fight this issue outright. We can take the help of the Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org) and other International Bodies. Meanwhile let us all give our best effort to educate the people about the impact and cost of hosting such a colossal drill just behind our courtyard. Above, this is a serious national issue as significant as the issue of Sovereignty, Supra State or Alternative Arrangement that calls for urgent citizens' action.