Imphal, August 02: Calling on the Government of Manipur and NEEPCO officials to immediately withdraw from Tipaimukh, the armed outfit Hmar Peoples' Convention (D) today said there are better ways to make feel of development to the poor and marginalized people by providing safe drinking water, better education and regular electricity, than building dams, reports our CCpur correspondent.

Let the dam builders of Tipaimukh listen if they have ears, read if they have eyes and reason if they are human, said the outfit's statement that vowed to protect any attempt to disrupt the continuity of their land in the name of development by ignoring the consent of the people.

Our land is for our people, the river (Tuiruong) shall ever flow, the hills and mountains shall ever stand, our people shall forever own and live in them, added the statement.

The outfit also vowed that not to take an inch of their land by NEEPCO and Government of Manipur.

The indigenous Hmar people demands respect from any outsider in its land, we don't need a big dam, the attempt to build Tipaimukh Multi-purpose Hydro-electricity Project should be stopped.

This is the collective consent of the Hmar people, it said and added, "If this consent is not respected, the blood of our strong and braves will stand out to protect and save our land and people".

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