Dams and indigenous peoples rights in Manipur / Jiten Yumnam.

"Published for Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur"

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The book is an outcome of the author's extensive activism, field work, documentation, and personal experiences of striving for protection of rivers, land, and forest in Manipur in the last three decades. The book highlights two absurd parallel realities that continue to unfold in Manipur. The reports of failure and underperformances of several commissioned mega dams on one hand and concerted and aggressive efforts of the Government to construct series of mega dams under the Manipur Hydroelectric Power Policy, 2012 despite the failure and ineffectiveness of dams on the other. A serious question remains why the government is wasting public money for much of the mammoth structures that failed to serve its intended purposes. It only devastates the peoples land, lives and ecology of the state and its indigenous peoples. There has not been any serious investigation to prove the veracity of such reportages as well as the causes and reasons of the claims by the rights activists and indigenous peoples regarding the failing nature of the dams and its devastating impact. One needs to ponder who benefits out of mega dams, the contractors, the politicians, dam builders, equipment suppliers or whether the people of Manipur that really benefits. The book also reflects on the increased irrationality of mega dams in the context of global climate crisis and its contradictions in efforts to promote sustainable development. Questions arose as to why indigenous peoples of Manipur should sacrifice their land, livelihood and ecology and other survival sources for such large-scale failed projects? Such contradictory and destructive development only constitutes a fraudulent development process. It is crucial for any newly proposed energy projects or larges dams to ensure sustainable and equitable development with rightful participation of indigenous communities in all development decision making and seeking alternatives.