The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information
from human rights groups in Manipur concerning the state government's
forced eviction of families living on Loktak Lake since 15 November
2011. The state police has used brute force to chase people away from
their homes, including burning nearly 200 huts. Government security
agencies for some time have been accusing the settlers of being
illegal, and there have been reported cases of armed militant groups
operating in Manipur and neighbouring states seeking the settlements
as their refuge. It is alleged that the present eviction is in fact a
security operation, and not to preserve the environment under the
controversial Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006, as claimed.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The State Government of Manipur has started burning down floating
huts, Khangpokshang, built over Phumdis (floating plant mass) of the
fishermen living in Loktak Wetlands in central Manipur from 15
November 2011 up to the present. The officers from the Loktak
Development Authority and the Manipur state police carried out the
deliberate burning down of the huts. The Loktak Development Authority
had issued an eviction notice to the residents on 11 November 2011.
Nearly 200 floating huts were already burnt by November 17, and the
remaining 1,132 floating huts are to meet a similar fate. There are
about 5,000 persons living in the floating huts located in Khuman
Yangbi, Nambul Machin and Karang Sabal within the Loktak Lake.
The burning down of the floating huts is in accordance with the
provisions of the much controversial Loktak Lake (Protection) Act,
2006, in particular Section 19 and 20 of the Act, which divides the
236.21 sq.km Loktak Lake into two zones - a core zone comprising 70.30
sq.km, which is a ‘no development zone’, or ‘totally protected
zone’, and a buffer zone of other areas of the lake excluding the
core zone. A vital aspect of this division is the prohibition on
building huts or houses on Phumdis inside the lake, or Athaphum
fishing, a destructive form of fishing using vegetation enclosures in
the core area. This however, will adversely affect over 10,000 people
living in Phumdi huts, as well as others dependent on the Lake.
The burning down of nearly 200 floating huts has led to the
displacement of nearly 950 community members so far who has been
living in these floating huts for generations. The number of affected
families is expected to increase since the burning down of huts is
continuing. The victims, including women, children and the aged have
sought refuge at the Ningthoukhong Makha Leikai community hall in
Bishenpur district, Manipur. The fishing gears and nets of the
communities, their only means to catch fish from the Loktak wetlands
were also burned and this has left the community having no means to
find food for survival. Having lost all their belongings, including
books, uniforms and school bags, many children can no longer go to
school. With the winter already setting in Manipur, the displaced
villagers are left to fend for themselves during the harsh weather.
Each household was offered Rs. 40,000 as compensation before their
huts were burned. However, most of the villagers rejected this amount
as too meagre, and not able to compensate their livelihood and
survival needs. Moreover, there is no process to rehabilitate the
affected villagers and their right to free, prior and informed consent
has not been complied with. The Manipur police commandoes are
threatening and intimidating the affected villagers before burning
their huts. In many cases, the police also forced the displaced family
members to burn their own huts.
The burning of the floating huts and the destruction of livelihood of
the indigenous people dwelling in Loktak Lake constitute a serious
violation of the “right to life”, “right to adequate housing”
as guaranteed by the Constitution of India and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which India
is party to and has pledged to uphold and practice. The failure to
obtain consent of the affected communities also constitutes a serious
form of discrimination targeting the marginalised communities and
violates the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and
the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial
Discrimination.
Affected peoples on several occasions had been raising vehement
opposition to the introduction of the controversial Loktak Protection
Act, 2006, which they feared would break the age-old bond between the
lake and its people. Indigenous peoples depending on the Loktak Lake
for survival continue to demand the complete scrapping of the Act.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Government of Manipur, through its Loktak Development Authority
has been blaming the indigenous peoples dwelling in Loktak Lake for
polluting and causing contamination of the Lake. However, the impact
of the Ithai Barrage of the Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project,
commissioned in 1984, which led to a huge scale devastation of the
Loktak wetlands ecosystem, loss of indigenous plant and faunal
species, disturbance of the wetlands' natural balance and cleansing
system leading an accumulation of pollutants in the lake, has been
ignored.
There is no comprehensive government policy to protect the
environment in Manipur. Under the pretext of protecting wetlands to
mitigate climate change and also to conserve wetlands, there is an
increasing effort to evict poor fishermen and villagers who depend on
the Loktak Wetlands and Lamphelpat Wetlands. The Loktak Wetlands
Ecosystems has already been destroyed by the Loktak Multipurpose
Hydroelectric project. Furthermore, the government has been adopting
an indiscriminate policy of converting the Lamphelpat Wetlands for
heavy and widespread construction, including several government
offices, military camps, Imphal Sewerage Treatment Plant, National
Information of Technology buildings, National Games village, Langol
Housing complex and the Police Housing complex, all of which has led
to widespread destruction of the Lamphelpat Wetlands.
Development policies and projects have been pursued along with the
militarisation of the state, whereby indigenous peoples' right to land
and resources are denied with assistance from the military. The
indigenous peoples' cry for help and calls for sustainable development
and the respect of their rights are increasingly met with military
might, suppression and violation of their human rights. Military
operations in Loktak Lake are a common feature and on several
occasions have led to displacement and human rights violations of
people living in and around the Loktak Lake.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below asking for their urgent
intervention in this case.
The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the UN Special
Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an
adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in
this context seeking an intervention in this case.
ISSUES: Right to life and housing; corruption; impunity .
Posted by : Vipul Koul,
Edited by :Ashok Koul
from human rights groups in Manipur concerning the state government's
forced eviction of families living on Loktak Lake since 15 November
2011. The state police has used brute force to chase people away from
their homes, including burning nearly 200 huts. Government security
agencies for some time have been accusing the settlers of being
illegal, and there have been reported cases of armed militant groups
operating in Manipur and neighbouring states seeking the settlements
as their refuge. It is alleged that the present eviction is in fact a
security operation, and not to preserve the environment under the
controversial Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006, as claimed.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The State Government of Manipur has started burning down floating
huts, Khangpokshang, built over Phumdis (floating plant mass) of the
fishermen living in Loktak Wetlands in central Manipur from 15
November 2011 up to the present. The officers from the Loktak
Development Authority and the Manipur state police carried out the
deliberate burning down of the huts. The Loktak Development Authority
had issued an eviction notice to the residents on 11 November 2011.
Nearly 200 floating huts were already burnt by November 17, and the
remaining 1,132 floating huts are to meet a similar fate. There are
about 5,000 persons living in the floating huts located in Khuman
Yangbi, Nambul Machin and Karang Sabal within the Loktak Lake.
The burning down of the floating huts is in accordance with the
provisions of the much controversial Loktak Lake (Protection) Act,
2006, in particular Section 19 and 20 of the Act, which divides the
236.21 sq.km Loktak Lake into two zones - a core zone comprising 70.30
sq.km, which is a ‘no development zone’, or ‘totally protected
zone’, and a buffer zone of other areas of the lake excluding the
core zone. A vital aspect of this division is the prohibition on
building huts or houses on Phumdis inside the lake, or Athaphum
fishing, a destructive form of fishing using vegetation enclosures in
the core area. This however, will adversely affect over 10,000 people
living in Phumdi huts, as well as others dependent on the Lake.
The burning down of nearly 200 floating huts has led to the
displacement of nearly 950 community members so far who has been
living in these floating huts for generations. The number of affected
families is expected to increase since the burning down of huts is
continuing. The victims, including women, children and the aged have
sought refuge at the Ningthoukhong Makha Leikai community hall in
Bishenpur district, Manipur. The fishing gears and nets of the
communities, their only means to catch fish from the Loktak wetlands
were also burned and this has left the community having no means to
find food for survival. Having lost all their belongings, including
books, uniforms and school bags, many children can no longer go to
school. With the winter already setting in Manipur, the displaced
villagers are left to fend for themselves during the harsh weather.
Each household was offered Rs. 40,000 as compensation before their
huts were burned. However, most of the villagers rejected this amount
as too meagre, and not able to compensate their livelihood and
survival needs. Moreover, there is no process to rehabilitate the
affected villagers and their right to free, prior and informed consent
has not been complied with. The Manipur police commandoes are
threatening and intimidating the affected villagers before burning
their huts. In many cases, the police also forced the displaced family
members to burn their own huts.
The burning of the floating huts and the destruction of livelihood of
the indigenous people dwelling in Loktak Lake constitute a serious
violation of the “right to life”, “right to adequate housing”
as guaranteed by the Constitution of India and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which India
is party to and has pledged to uphold and practice. The failure to
obtain consent of the affected communities also constitutes a serious
form of discrimination targeting the marginalised communities and
violates the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and
the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial
Discrimination.
Affected peoples on several occasions had been raising vehement
opposition to the introduction of the controversial Loktak Protection
Act, 2006, which they feared would break the age-old bond between the
lake and its people. Indigenous peoples depending on the Loktak Lake
for survival continue to demand the complete scrapping of the Act.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Government of Manipur, through its Loktak Development Authority
has been blaming the indigenous peoples dwelling in Loktak Lake for
polluting and causing contamination of the Lake. However, the impact
of the Ithai Barrage of the Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project,
commissioned in 1984, which led to a huge scale devastation of the
Loktak wetlands ecosystem, loss of indigenous plant and faunal
species, disturbance of the wetlands' natural balance and cleansing
system leading an accumulation of pollutants in the lake, has been
ignored.
There is no comprehensive government policy to protect the
environment in Manipur. Under the pretext of protecting wetlands to
mitigate climate change and also to conserve wetlands, there is an
increasing effort to evict poor fishermen and villagers who depend on
the Loktak Wetlands and Lamphelpat Wetlands. The Loktak Wetlands
Ecosystems has already been destroyed by the Loktak Multipurpose
Hydroelectric project. Furthermore, the government has been adopting
an indiscriminate policy of converting the Lamphelpat Wetlands for
heavy and widespread construction, including several government
offices, military camps, Imphal Sewerage Treatment Plant, National
Information of Technology buildings, National Games village, Langol
Housing complex and the Police Housing complex, all of which has led
to widespread destruction of the Lamphelpat Wetlands.
Development policies and projects have been pursued along with the
militarisation of the state, whereby indigenous peoples' right to land
and resources are denied with assistance from the military. The
indigenous peoples' cry for help and calls for sustainable development
and the respect of their rights are increasingly met with military
might, suppression and violation of their human rights. Military
operations in Loktak Lake are a common feature and on several
occasions have led to displacement and human rights violations of
people living in and around the Loktak Lake.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below asking for their urgent
intervention in this case.
The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the UN Special
Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an
adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in
this context seeking an intervention in this case.
ISSUES: Right to life and housing; corruption; impunity .
Posted by : Vipul Koul,
Edited by :Ashok Koul
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