Public hearings on Tipaimukh project a farce

Act 1; Scene 1 Churachandpur, Manipur "Don't divide our people; don't take away our land; save our biodiversity; dam destroys our land; we are strongly opposed to the Tipaimukh dam".

Act 1; Scene 2 Tamenglong, Manipur "Don't make us refugees; no land, no identity; our land is our life; Where will we go if the dam submerges our own land?"

Two neighbouring towns in Manipur had awaited public hearings on the proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydel Project (see 'Fissured land', Down To Earth , October 15, 2006) for months. The government finally announced them for November 2006, after it had floated a global tender for works on it and the Union government had already promised a Rs 400 crore security cover for a 'proposed' project. To anyone who had not inferred the farcical character of the public hearings, the prime minister decided to inaugurate the dam even before the environmental clearances were through.Finally, he relented, only to promise the inauguration before Christmas, clearly informing how irrelevant the public hearings were for the government which had already made up its mind. But the people voiced their anguish in no unclear terms at Tamenglong (the Naga dominated district, where displacement would be the highest) and in Churachandpur (the Hmar dominated district, where the government promised the dam would bring attendant development). The state nevertheless announced the events were successfull.
At Churachandpur The public hearing was held behind closed doors with heavy security in the office of the deputy commissioner on November 17. Sumant Singh, the deputy commissioner, chaired the hearing along with representatives from organisations such as the Manipur Pollution Control Board, North Eastern Electric Power Cooperation (neepco)--the government agency entrusted with the responsibility of building power projects in the northeast--Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project and others, and also about 8-10 village chiefs.

But representatives of over 30 villages and environmental activists, besides the media, were denied entry inside the deputy commissioner's office where the public hearing was held. The government had already declared in its advertisement that only those able to prove their proposed displacement would be allowed in.The officials played delay-tactics compelling the people to leave the venue because they had come from far away places. The situation remained tense outside the venue. "We are not criminals. We are innocent citizens who want to meet the deputy commissioner. Why is our right to information and participation being so blatantly violated?" asked Sumitra Kamei, a villager.

At a press conference held after the hearing, the administration gave its own version. "Churachandpur today gave its assent to the proposal for the construction of Tipaimukh Dam," said Singh. The panel members claimed that the Chief's Association of Tipaimukh Dam Affected Area had laid down certain conditions, which included land and agricultural compensation and 50 per cent job reservation for the affected people. But neepco representatives clarified that these demands were already in the memorandum of understanding (mou) that it signed with the state government.

After blocking off the protestors, the panel made a brazen declaration "among the organisations that were present in the hearing, no one has voiced their opposition to the construction of the dam, rather many had words of appreciation for the project". The misgivings that people may have with regard to the dam.