Ajit Patowary
GUWAHATI, Nov 7 – In the wake of the reported Chinese bid to dam the Brahmaputra and ultimately to divert its course in Tibet, people’s organizations in Arunachal Pradesh have urged the Indian Government to be consistent in its efforts at dissuading the Chinese authorities from such initiatives. Such a bid on the part of the Chinese authorities has the potential of making life hell for the people of the NE part of India. The Chinese authorities should be made to comply with the internationally accepted principle that there should not be any attempt at interfering with the river systems upstream without properly assessing the downstream impacts of such acts involving the downstream area people, said these organizations.
Some of them are critical also of the similar bids undertaken by the Indian Government to build dams across various Arunachal Pradesh rivers.
If a dam is built on the Brahmaputra in Tibet and its course is diverted, these will result in serious livelihood problems for the people of NE India, besides severe ecological problems. The very existence of the NE Indian people depends on the existence of the Brahmaputra, said Sunil Mao, convenor of the Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Human Rights Law Network.
Bamang Antony, chairman of the Arunachal Citizens’ Rights, said that the Government of India should immediately intervene into the matter as the people of NE will otherwise be the worst sufferers.
He said that a few years back his organization had submitted a memorandum to the Indian Government alleging that attempts were there to interfere with the Brahmaputra river system inside Tibet. “As our allegation has come true, the Indian Government should act immediately to ensure that there is no interference with the Brahmaputra river system,” said Antony.
He also regretted that the Indian Government was not active during the 2004 flood in the Siang, which was caused by certain developments in the upper reaches of the river in Tibet. It needs mention here that the Siang is known in Tibet as the Tsangpo or the Yarlung Tsangpo, which has flowed into Assam as theBrahmaputra.
Domin Loya, vice-chairman of the NEFA Indigenous Human Rights Organization, is also of the same opinion. China should not be allowed to dam theBrahmaputra or to divert its course, he added.
At the same time, Loya said, GoI should also ensure that no mega dam is built on the Arunachal Pradesh rivers. GoI should care more for the well-being of its own people. Rights of the Arunachalis to life and property should be GoI’s first priority.
“Most of the Arunachalis consider bids to construct any mega dams on any of the Arunachal rivers as an hostile act to them. Considering their cumulative impacts, such bids have no difference with theChinese bids to dam the Brahmaputra,” he added.
General secretary of the Idu Misimi Students’ Union Tony Macro said, the GoI should tell the Chinese authorities in unambiguous terms that if they want to have a cordial relation with India, it should also pay heed to the voice of the Indian people. The reports of the Chinese bid to dam and to divert the Brahmaputra has caused much alarm among the people of the NE region and this should be conveyed to the Chinese Government in right earnest, Macro said.
On the other hand, he said, Indian Government is also damming the Arunachal rivers. It should listen to the concerns expressed by the people of the NE region on these dams, he too added. THE SENTINEL
GUWAHATI, Nov 7 – In the wake of the reported Chinese bid to dam the Brahmaputra and ultimately to divert its course in Tibet, people’s organizations in Arunachal Pradesh have urged the Indian Government to be consistent in its efforts at dissuading the Chinese authorities from such initiatives. Such a bid on the part of the Chinese authorities has the potential of making life hell for the people of the NE part of India. The Chinese authorities should be made to comply with the internationally accepted principle that there should not be any attempt at interfering with the river systems upstream without properly assessing the downstream impacts of such acts involving the downstream area people, said these organizations.
Some of them are critical also of the similar bids undertaken by the Indian Government to build dams across various Arunachal Pradesh rivers.
If a dam is built on the Brahmaputra in Tibet and its course is diverted, these will result in serious livelihood problems for the people of NE India, besides severe ecological problems. The very existence of the NE Indian people depends on the existence of the Brahmaputra, said Sunil Mao, convenor of the Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Human Rights Law Network.
Bamang Antony, chairman of the Arunachal Citizens’ Rights, said that the Government of India should immediately intervene into the matter as the people of NE will otherwise be the worst sufferers.
He said that a few years back his organization had submitted a memorandum to the Indian Government alleging that attempts were there to interfere with the Brahmaputra river system inside Tibet. “As our allegation has come true, the Indian Government should act immediately to ensure that there is no interference with the Brahmaputra river system,” said Antony.
He also regretted that the Indian Government was not active during the 2004 flood in the Siang, which was caused by certain developments in the upper reaches of the river in Tibet. It needs mention here that the Siang is known in Tibet as the Tsangpo or the Yarlung Tsangpo, which has flowed into Assam as theBrahmaputra.
Domin Loya, vice-chairman of the NEFA Indigenous Human Rights Organization, is also of the same opinion. China should not be allowed to dam theBrahmaputra or to divert its course, he added.
At the same time, Loya said, GoI should also ensure that no mega dam is built on the Arunachal Pradesh rivers. GoI should care more for the well-being of its own people. Rights of the Arunachalis to life and property should be GoI’s first priority.
“Most of the Arunachalis consider bids to construct any mega dams on any of the Arunachal rivers as an hostile act to them. Considering their cumulative impacts, such bids have no difference with theChinese bids to dam the Brahmaputra,” he added.
General secretary of the Idu Misimi Students’ Union Tony Macro said, the GoI should tell the Chinese authorities in unambiguous terms that if they want to have a cordial relation with India, it should also pay heed to the voice of the Indian people. The reports of the Chinese bid to dam and to divert the Brahmaputra has caused much alarm among the people of the NE region and this should be conveyed to the Chinese Government in right earnest, Macro said.
On the other hand, he said, Indian Government is also damming the Arunachal rivers. It should listen to the concerns expressed by the people of the NE region on these dams, he too added. THE SENTINEL
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