TAMENGLONG, Sept 5: The militant outfit Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has said that exploration or excavation of mineral deposits in Zeliangrong areas will not be tolerated by the outfit.
The ZUF said that the ongoing public hearing or the seismic survey, investigation and drilling as part of oil exploration in the Zeliangrong inhabited areas especially in Temenglong district, Churachanpur district, Jiribam, sub-division should halt immediately. “ZUF will not torerate any arbitrary attempt or project to excavate mineral resources in the Zeliangrong lands in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland,” the outfit asserted.
Any attempt to extract mineral resources without consulting the indigenous people connected with the effected lands amounted to violation of human rights and exploitation of traditional land use system of the tribal people, it said while adding, “Article 371(a), (b) and (c) of Indian Constitution and the UN charter of Human Rights including the right of the indigenous people should be recalled to protect rights of the effected indigenous people. NGOs and other vested interest groups or individual are against further trespasses into the indigenous lands”.
The ZUF has been striving hard to protect the natural resources and public properties especially lands, the outfit claimed.
The outfit then asks to all those who have issued no objection certificates (NOC) in favour of oil exploration in Zeliangrong areas should withdraw immediately.
The ZUF is also opposed to the “irresponsible attitude” of the Indian Army at Khoupum valley who tried to create trouble by questioning civilians accusing them as members of the Zeliangrong Tigers Force (ZTF), the armed wing of ZUF with fake photographs. “The security force personnel have raided civilian areas showing the false photos on August 28 and 29. This should be discontinued as it tender to yield nothing but trouble,” it warns.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zuf-to-oppose-oil-exploration/
