SIKKIM UNIQUE IN FORM OF PROTEST AND NATURE OF GOVT RESPONSE -

A six member team of journalists from the state participated in a two day “Media Dialogue on Large Dams, Hydro Power and North East India” held in Guwahati on 01 and 02 September.

The media dialogue, participated in by journalists and activists from all over the North Eastern region, shared and presented power point presentations on the present day situation in the region vis a vis hydel projects, a trend which is now referred to as “the MOU Virus”.

In recent times, the North East has been referred to as India’s “future powerhouse’ with at least 168 hydro power projects for generating 68,000 MW planned here. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim lead the hydel pack with a blitzkrieg of agreements (MoUS) signed with developers in the last few years. Infact, the Union Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh, recently referred to this phenomenon as an “MoU virus”.

Around fifteen participants presented their reports and studies over the two days, which also saw active discussions and open house sessions. The purpose of the dialogue was aimed at discussing and debating some of the immediate as well as related long term issues like national level power planning, India’s experience in large dam building, the politics of environmental governance, private sector role in hydro- power development, dams and floods and dams, development and conflict.

Also to present its views on the second day of the media dialogue on large dams was the team from the Affected Ciitizens of Teesta (ACT) representated by Tseten Lepcha and Pemzang Tenzing. ACT received handsome appreciation throughout the meet in the manner in which the situation it had managed its protests against Dams on the Teesta. The ‘Satyagraha’ by ACT, incidentally, is the only protest in the North-East region which has chosen the path of non-violence. It is perhaps for this reason that Sikkim is the only State where the state government has scrapped hydel projects (four out of six in Dzongu), the participants and experts frothe other regions agreed.

Tseten Lepcha, a founder member of ACT, in his presentation gave a brief overview on the present scenario in Sikkim and also commented on the positive move of the state government to scrap four hydel projects in Dzongu, which, he said, also made Sikkim stand up as unique against other state governments in the NE which unlike Sikkim had still not taken any steps to meet environmental and social concerns raised by affected people in their respective states.

Social activists from the Northeast region, especially Arunachal Pradesh where more than 100 MoUs have been signed for hydel project development, and Manipur, which has a long campaign against projects such as the 1500 MW, Tapaimukh project, also spoke on the civil society raising concerns about agreements signed with developers and the cumulative social and environmental impacts of the proposed projects in the upstream and downstream areas.

A major concern raised was the likely demographic and socio-cultural upheaval due to influx of large labour populations in areas which have small indigenous populations.

The media dialogue was jointly organized by Kalpravriksh (KV), a 29 year old group working on environmental awareness, campaigns and research.

“The organization believes that a country can develop meaningfully only when ecological sustainability and social equity are guaranteed, and a sense of respect for nature and fellow humans is achieved,” said Neeraj Vagholikar of Kalpravriksh.

Further, Manju Menon of KV informed that the broad thematic areas of work for the organization include environmental education, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods, urban environment and environment and development.

“Over the years, KV’s work on environment and development has included research and advocacy on the environmental and social impacts of development projects and activities (for example dams and mining), and the environmental decision making framework for these,” added Kanchi Kohli from KV.

It was also informed that the group has supported people’s movements, NGOs, activists and communities on these issues. For the last seven years, KV has closely followed large dams in North East India and Panos South Asia (PSA) which is an organization that works with the media with an objective to create a just and democratic society through pluralistic and inclusive debates in the public domain.

With its secretariat in Kathmandu, Panos works with the media in five countries of the region through its seven offices. It broadly works with five thematic concerns – environment, conflict, globalization, public health and media pluralism. Established in 1997, PSA has consistently supported journalists through its various programmes and activities, pushed for inclusive and quality content in media and has worked to create interactive spaces between the three crucial agencies of information – media, academia and advocacy groups.

It was also agreed over the two days that the latest trigger for anti-dam protests was the alleged aggravation of floods in downstream areas in Assam due to the release of waters from the 405 MW Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh. Irrespective of what exactly emerges from the ongoing inquiry into the role of the Ranganadi hydro project in June 2008 floods, the debate has brought into sharp focus issues such as ‘dam induced floods’ which have been a reality across the country over the years.

The larger debate on downstream impact of dams has become a centre stage as people have begun to express concern about the issues such as loss of fisheries, change in wetland ecology in the flood plains and increased vulnerability due to massive boulder extraction from river beds and landslides induced by tunneling and road construction.

The media team from Sikkim included Sarikah Atreya, Editor, Sikkim Express; Pavitra Bhandari of Hamro Prajashakti; Pema Leyda Shangderpa, Senior Correspondent, The Telegraph and Anand Oberoi, Sr Correspondent, NOW!


ANAND OBEROI

Source:NOW! Dated 5th September, 2008