Shillong, July 27 2009: The Hmar Peoples Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) has said that the proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is a war imposed on the indigenous Hmar people and various other communities who shared the river, downstream as well as upperstream.

HPC-D Northern Command Lalthutlung Hmar informed Newmai News Network that the power-hungry governments and dam builders in India who were driven by capitalist interests, in their blind pursuit for profit making and securing energy in distant foreign land, are poised to cross into indigenous peoples territory to dam the two life-giving rivers, Tuiruong and Tuivai.

"They don't have the approval and consent of the people in whose land the dam is proposed.

We are closely watching their every move.

Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) � HPC (D) � shall never tolerate and allow their efforts to bear any fruit.

The rivers that nurse and feed our honoured generations before shall continue to flow for all the generations to come.

We cannot allow the rivers to be disturbed.

We are obligated to see that no outsiders, their forces and might will dam, destroy or disturb the natural flow of the rivers of life.

Whoever steps in shall do so at their own risk.

They shall pay for their own action," the HPC-D leader added sternly.

The HPC-D leader also said that Tuiruong and Tuivai rivers are central to the existence and survival of the the indigenous Hmar people, who are fragmented by five State boundaries � Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya.

"Although the divisive State boundaries made our people politically insignificant in their respective State, the rivers weaved our people together thorugh thick and thin.

We shall never sacrifice them; never in the name of development; never in any elusive name.

Our rich culture, tradition, history,language and memory flow in these rivers.

We shall continue to march safely into the future with our land and rivers.

We shall never let anyone rob and grab our land and rivers for their selfish end.

We shall not bow before any foreign interests to become mere fooder when our human quest is also to live and progress like equal human being.

Our rivers did not flow to be dammed;our land and forest did not stand to be submerged; our people did not live to be uprooted and displaced.

There can be no compensation for the loss and cost to be paid by us," the Hmar outfit leader explained.

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