RPF calls to conserve environment
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 04 2012:
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Senior Publicity Secretary T Leishemba of the proscribed revolutionary group Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) has called for mass involvement in conserving the natural environment of the state which is deteriorating at a fast pace due to many external factors.
Recalling how the day came into existence, RPF stated that United Nations in its General Assembly realising the need to save the natural environment held a 12-day long conference on Human Environment from June 5 to 16 in 1972 with different countries participating and expressing the need to save the deteriorating human environment due to the exploitation by the mankind with the advancement of science and technology.
Since then the world has been observing June 5 every year as World Environment Day.
This year too, the world is observing the day under the theme "Green Economy: Does it include you?" with an aim to create awareness of mass participation of the public in conserving the natural environment and stop its exploitation.
At the same time it is also encouraging conservation of the natural environment as a source of good and green economy.
The idea of green economy surfaced on the table of discussion by different countries of the world who discouraged the traditional method of exploiting natural resources while earning money from encouraging a whole new dimension of creating a good economy in the green way by not exploiting the nature, the outfit observed, and asserted that various projects, developmental programmes and schemes in the state have been exploiting the green environment of the state in the past decades.
On the other hand, hill dwellers are also exploiting the natural environment in their quest for livelihood and earning money without knowing or ignoring the consequences which they will face in the future.
When the whole world is rising up to save and restore the natural environment, some people in the state are exploiting the rich natural resources of the state for their personal interest.
With such deterioration in the natural environment, the climatic condition of the state has changed to a great extent with floods and water scarcity becoming more like normal happenings.
And these changes in weather, environment have become a major threat to the sustainability of the culture and tradition of the state, RPF maintained.
Even though, Manipur is bestowed with rich natural resources, the colonial government of India has been destroying the rich natural resources in the name of counter insurgency.
Ever since, Manipur was forcefully merged into Indian Union, armed revolutionary organisations have revolted against the India government to regain its lost freedom.
As a result, there has been a continuous armed conflict in the state for the last 60 years, RPF said.
Additional Protocol inserted in the 1949's Geneva Convention strongly advised to stop exploiting natural environment in an armed conflict region.
According to the additional protocol, both the side in an armed conflict should save the natural resources in their conflict situation for the future of the world.
The additional protocol was inserted after realising the harmful effects of armed conflict in the natural environment.
However, in Manipur, the security forces are destroying the natural resources in the name of counter insurgency ignoring the International Humanitarian Law.
They have cut down many forest areas to make their camps in the far flung areas.
Besides, they are also making their camps in any tourist spots, religious places and hill ranges thereby deteriorating the natural eco system.
Many forests were burnt down by the security forces in the name of counter insurgency, the outfit alleged.
In such situation, people of the state should raise their voices against the exploitation of natural environment and move one step forward in conserving the natural environment for the future of Manipur, the statement added.
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