World Food (less) Day at Ramrei Village, Ukhrul

October 16, 2014

MAPITHEL DAM AFFECTED VILLAGERS ORGANIZATION
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY MANIPUR
Sega Road Imphal Manipur NE India 795001

The Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organization and the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur organized the World Food (less) day at Ramrei Village, Ukhrul District, Manipur with a community meet on “Climate Change in Manipur and Indigenous Peoples Rights” on 16 October 2014. The World food Day is being organized in the context of increasing land grabbing and climate change impacts of aggressive pursuance of neoliberal policies and unsustainable development processes in Manipur.

The World Food (less) day commemoration began with a poem, themed ‘Rice’, composed and recited by Ms. Maryna Kashung of Riha village. Mr. Indrakumar Konthoujam, Asst Professor, GP Women’s College, Mr. Jiten Yumnam, Secretary, Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur and Mr. Joykumar Wahengbam, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative spoke shared on the various aspects and needs on promoting food sovereignty and indigenous peoples rights in Manipur.

Mr. Jiten Yumnam, Secretary, CRAM spoke on how pursuance of unsustainable development processes, primarily mega dams, oil exploration, mining projects and large infrastructure projects in the context of India’s promotion of neoliberal policies has resulted in increased conscription of scarce cultivable land and undermining food sovereignty of Manipur. The submergence of 80,000 acres of agriculture land by the 105 MW Loktak Project in 1984, seriously undermined food sovereignty of Manipur.

The Mapithel dam and other mega dams planned across rivers under the Manipur Hydroelectric Power Policy, 2012 will destroy prime agriculture land and further aggravate Manipur’s food dependency from outside. Mr. Yumnam also shared how destruction of forest and agriculture land by mega dams and other unsustainable development projects worsened climate change impacts and how false climate change solutions are imposed in Manipur.

Mr. Indrakumar Konthoujam shared how Manipur is centred geographically and politically in India’s Look East Policy and its efforts to reach out to South East Asian Countries for Free Trade Agreements. The process already paved the way for enhanced trade and commerce and massive investment in Trans Asian road, railways, energy and allied projects, including urbanization and security facilities, which ultimately will end in further conscripting agriculture land and undermined food sovereignty in Manipur.

Mr. Joykumar Wahengbam, Human Rights Initiative spoke how indigenous peoples’ role in food production through their traditional knowledge and practices are undermined. He also explained how indigenous peoples’ human rights as enunciated in the International human rights law and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are deliberately undermined.

The participants of the commemoration of World Food Day reaffirmed to protect and defend agriculture land, forest, water and other resources from corporate expansionism and development onslaught in Manipur and further to strive to unite to promote food sovereignty. The participants also endorsed the ongoing struggle of communities affected by Mapithel dam and other large unsustainable projects in Manipur in their call for protection of their forest, agriculture land and to foster respect indigenous peoples’ rights in all development decision and processes affecting their land, territories and future.

Sanaton Laishram
President, CRAM,

R Sakhathan
Chairman, MDAVO