The Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur would like to express our concern with the ongoing oil spill and fire at the oil drilling site of the Oil India Limited (OIL) at Baghjan Village in Assam since 27 May 2020. OIL officials failed to control the oil spill as of 10 June 2020. The oil Blowout, or uncontrolled spillage of oil and gas at the oil drilling site has led to displacement of more than 3000 community members in Baghjan Village and surrounding areas and contaminated much of the Maguri-Motapung wetland, part of the eco-sensitive zone of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The oil spill has had an adverse effect on biodiversity of the two eco-sensitive zone.
The Dibru Saikhowa National park is home to at least 36 species of mammals including feral horses and at least 382 species of birds. Locals found a carcass of a Gangetic dolphin, declared as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with its skin peeled in the Maguri wetland. The OIL company has contracted experts from Singapore based Alert Disaster Control to control the oil spill. OIL's seeking help from foreign countries indicates the failure or the lack of capacity of the OIL company to handle major oil spills, which is a concern for indigenous peoples across North East where Jubilant Oil and Gas Pnvate Limited and Oil India Limited are involved in oil exploration and survey works like in Manipur since 2010.
In Manipur, the Oil India Limited (OIL) commenced surveys in Khaidem, Moidangpok, Sangaithel villages in lmphal West district in Manipur since March 2017 without providing any detailed information to the villagers and in absence of their consent. Manipur indeed falls in two of the World's Biodiversity Hotspot, the Eastern Himalayas Biodiversity Hotspot, and lndo-Burma Hotspot and oil exploration and related spills like in Baghjan will entail massive social and environmental impacts. Oil companies downplayed the impacts of oil exploration in Manipur.
The Oil India Limited unleashed human rights violations by contaminating the land and water bodies and by denying the livelihood of communities depending on Rivers and wetlands, such as in Baghjan Area of Assam. The oil exploration moves in Manipur failed to recognise indigenous peoples' rights over their land and resources. The effort to explore and drill oil in Manipur involves a process of disrespect and non-application of human rights-based approach to development, one that recognise Indigenous peoples' rights, more with self-determined development over their land and resources.
The continued oil spill and uncontrolled fire at Baghjan should lead to serious review and rethinking of oil exploration and fossil fuel-based industries pursued aggressively across India's North East. The communities affected by the oil spill should be fully compensated and rehabilitated to restore their livelihood and health. OIL should be held accountability for social impacts and irreparable loss of biodiversity. An investigation should be pursued to prosecute responsible officials of Oil companies involved. The Government should refrain from pursuing unsustainable extractive industries, like oil exploration without recognizing community rights and without taking their consent.
The country has not followed the recommendation to repeal or amend AFSPA to ensure that the legislation regarding the use of force is brought in line with international human rights law. The grievance came to light in the UN convention of human rights in Geneva on Friday when Special Reporteur dwelt at length on it to remove all legal barriers for the criminal prosecution of members of the armed forces.The report mentions that the government has failed to implement his recommendation that autopsies be carried out in conformity with international standards and that the families of victims be given full and easy access to autopsy reports, as well as death certificates and other...
Human rights activists from the north eastern region have sought UN intervention into the allegations of fake encounters by the security forces with the help of the Arms Forces Special Powers Act.The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and UN (CSCHR) tabled a summary of the follow-up report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, arbitrary executions in the state at the Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Friday.On his official visit in 2012, the SR had reported extrajudicial killings by security officers, the State Police, Armed Forces and armed groups. He also reported killings related to communal violence and practice affecting women rights to life...
A slew of steps to ensure sustainable development in the north eastern region struck global attention when human rights organizations from the region raised the issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council Regular Session at Geneva on Wednesday.The human rights activists hailing from this region stressed involvement of the indigenous people in the extraction of natural resources which, they said, the key to the path of sustainable development. They further dwelt at length of the impact of the extraction of mineral resources including uranium, oil and gas on the indigenous people in the northeast.Immanuel Varte who represented CORE from Manipur narrated the impact of the mega...
One after another somersault seems to have left BJP leadership red faced. That too hardly a year before the assembly polls.One after another somersault seems to have left BJP leadership red faced. That too hardly a year before the assembly polls.Till the other days the state BJP leadership ridiculed chief minister Tarun Gogoi alleging that the land swap deal would reduced the geographical size of Assam. Sensing a hail of controversy and protest, they said that Congress has been trying to surrender before Bangladesh. Even after Narendra Modi took over as prime minister, state BJP unit burnt Tarun Gogoi and Sonia Gandhi’s effigies in protest against the deal. But Gogoi has been firm on...
Once again BJP’s somersault is on the display over the Indo-Bangladesh land swap deal. The party’s central leadership, virtually, accepted the deal hardly a week after the cabinet exempted Assam from its purview.The party gave the green signal to the deal with Bangladesh citing stiff opposition from Congress when the central leadership hunkered down at Amit Shah’s residence in New Delhi on Monday evening. Talking to reporters after the meeting, state unit president Siddarth Bhattacharya admitted that the bill is unlikely to be stopped if Congress refuses to bend. “We don’t want this bill to be finalized for the greater interest of Assam. We don’t want Assam to surrender even an...
Authors, wild life experts stressed the need of scientific writings to boost the wildlife conservation efforts when they participated in a discussion on the subject on the last day of the Guwahati Lit Fest on Monday.Wild life expert Abhijit Rabha deplored rampant destruction of wild life habitats and merciless killing of beautiful birds and butterflies on every passing day.“Need of the hour is popular writings on wild life to create wildlife awareness among the common mass,” said Rabha who is authoring two books on Manas sanctuary and Sinhason Hills entitled Porbote Porbote.Wild life activists and prolific writer Saumyadeep Dutta said that media’s initiative in the form of wild life...
Television trust for the Environment in partnership with Microsoft has launched a national level film competition, Films for Change. The festival is accepting the entries till 15th December 2014. The on line competition that attempts to reach out to the youngsters has three categories i.e. The Polluting Cities, E-waste and The Change Makers. Best film in each category would be awarded with mobile phone camera.Notably, the competition is part of the bigger films for change programme, that reached thousands of youngsters across country. In this programme, hundreds of film screenings and over 50 film making workshops were held in different parts of the country including remote parts of...
Spring is back. Tender leaves have dressed the trees afresh. Season flowers start blooming brightly. The rivers are set to regain their strength because of the rain that lashes parts of the state. Birds are chirping with the music of spring. That what strikes the minds of the people who are gearing up for the Rongali Bihu slated for Monday next.Rural women are busy with preparing varieties of sweets and pastries to be served in the much-vaunted festival. Markets are teeming with people for bihu shopping. Some others are busy with weaving bihuwans for their near and dear ones. That’s the undying tradition of the Assamese girls which enjoys a unique degree of veneration. With drums and...
On Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 9:47 PM, Faisal khan <cpchindia@yahoo.com> wrote: Dear Friends,It is impossible to see in isolation the latest beating that resulted in the death of a young boy from North East who was studying in North India and was on a visit to Delhi. It not only reminds one of the exodus of the north east people from the South some time back, but also brings to mind all other major manifestations of violent discrimination each of which hogged the national headlines for some time. However we note with dismay that no meaningful steps, whether short- or long- term, were taken to stop recurrence of such abominable incidents. Rather, the intolerance and barbarity appear to...
On Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 7:30 PM, NJ Thakuria <navathakuria@gmail.com> wrote:We on behalf of media fraternity of Assam would like to express our resentment regarding the use of a photograph of Assam's best known journalist Parag Kumar Das in place of ULFA (Independent) leader Paresh Barua in your acclaimed newspaper.The news is related to a Bangladesh's court's conviction regarding a ten years old case of arms haul in Chittagong where the ULFA leader is also convicted and pronounced death sentence. The news came from Dhaka on January 30 afternoon and immediately got huge media space in India. But to utter dismay, you have posted a photograph of Parag Kumar Das as of the convicted ULFA...
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