RPF blames India for degrading environment
Significance Of World Environment Day Highlighted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal,June 04 2013:
Whereas environmental degeneration in most parts of the planet is caused by the human race for modernisation and industrialisation, environmental degradation witnessed in Manipur is not a result of modernisation or industrialisation.
It is a result of the Government of India's profit-oriented policy implemented in the region for the past many decades.
Although it is said that there were around 500 wetlands in Manipur in the ancient days but today there are just five wetlands and their conditions are pathetic.
If the existing five wetlands are also destroyed, many areas of Manipur would become uninhabitable for mankind and there would be climatic migration, RPF warned through a press release issued by its publicity secretary Roben Khuman.
A few decades back, Manipur received annual rainfall of 2830 millilitre but today many parts of Manipur have been facing water scarcity because large tracts of forest areas which used to retain rain water have been cleared.
According to a report given in January 1997, the number of reserved forest increased from 33 to 53, out of which 22 are protected forest and two are wildlife sanctuaries.
But it turned out to be just records and statistics which could not be seen anywhere on the ground.
Forest report of 2003 125 sq Kms of dense forests and 730 sq Kms of open forest were affected because of jhum cultivation while 108 sq Kms of forest area were destroyed by other factors.
The other factors mentioned here are burning of forest and extensive felling of trees by the Indian military in the name of counter insurgency operations, the outfit alleged.
The Indian military started burning forests on hill slopes by 1998 on the pretext that insurgents took refuge there.
At one instance, Assam Rifles burnt a large number of pine trees at Longga Koireng inside reserved forest area.
Likewise, large tracts of forest were burnt using thermite in Chandel, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Sajik Tampak etc.
During a gun battle with PLA at Maryland Tangkhul village in January 2008, a combined force of Assam Rifles and BSF burnt a hill range completely.
Such activities of the Indian military one major factor for destruction of natural resources and degradation of ecology and environment of Manipur.
It is against the international covenants for protection of environment like the Right to Healthy Environment.
The World Charter for Nature, Principle 5 clearly laid down that nature and environment should never be ravaged because of war or hostile activities.
Principle 29 again says that nature should not be targeted by any military action.
Article 1 of the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environment Modification Technique says that no State should allow its military to cause extensive ecological damage in any confrontation with another State or party.
Even as India submitted protocol for the Rio De Janeiro convention of 1999 and enacted a number of laws of its own for protection of environment, its military have been violating both domestic as well as international laws by causing extensive casualty and damages to human life as well as nature and environment, it alleged.
Ironically, Assam Rifles recently undertook a campaign under the banner "Go Green Fortnight" with an ulterior motive to cover up their wrongdoings and hoodwink the mass.
"The fate of our land and environment can be decided according to the collective wish of our people only when there is self-rule in Manipur.
As such, it is of crucial for every people of Manipur to accept their responsibility of winning back the nation's sovereignty", it asserted.
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