NET News Desk
The Youths Action Committee for Protection of Indigenous People (YACPIP) appealed the Government of India, Manipur and Multi National Companies to immediately stop the extraction of Limestones, Chromite, Nickel, Copper, Chromium, Magnetite and various platinum group of elements (PGE) from the various hills range of Ukhrul District, Kamjong District, Tengnoupal, Chandel District and various parts of Manipur.
In a press release issued by Laishram Gulshan, President (YACPIP) it said, the Committee is not against any development but stands against the developmental projects which are unsustainable and brings a threat to the livelihood of the indigenous peoples.
Citing the example of an unsustainable development project like the Mapithel dam, which the Committee said was constructed without prior notice or consent of the people remains defunct and imposes a threat to the lives of the indigenous people by submerging their land, forest, river and natural environment. It further claimed that “ false promise to generate 7.5 MW of electrical power, targeted to irrigate 21,000 hectares of cultivable land and providing 10 million gallons of drinking water every day was made in line with the construction of the dam.”
“The committee could identify many of such unsustainable development projects coming in the state like railways, oil exploration, power gridlines, expansion of highways etc which have destroyed large scale of hill areas, forest, water stream, polluting river and paddy field etc destroying our environment and threatens the livelihood and identity of the Indigenous people,” read the statement.
The Committee further stated that “learning from the aforementioned projects, we have a deep fear that if the government of Manipur, GOI and other MNC continues to initiate such unattainable development in our state than the future of Manipur is observed to be at the darkest side.”
Therefore, the Committee demanded that the mining of Chromite, Limestone and other minerals in Manipur should be stopped immediately. It also urged the Government of Manipur to terminate the agreement signed with the extractive companies.
