MNS: The Committee on the Protection of Natural Resources in Manipur (CPNRM) expressed concern with the reported move of the Government of Manipur, at the behest of Jubilant Energy, to organize another public hearing at Nungba for Oil Exploration in Manipur despite the clear verdict of the people against oil exploration in Manipur in all the three public hearings on oil exploration organized by Manipur Pollution Control Board at Nungba on from 30 July till 17th August 2012 at Jiribam, Parbung and Nungba. There is no need for a second environment public hearing at Nungba or other places in Manipur as the public has already expressed their verdict with clear “NO” to petroleum exploration and drilling in Manipur. As a direct outcome of this verdict, the Chairperson along with panel members at the Nungba Public Hearing gave a written statement, “..the two public hearings for the block AA-ONN/2009/1 & AA-ONN/2009/2 are hereby cancelled once and for all for Tamenglong District”. The government’s insensitive move for another Public Hearing compels us to ask how many times the government and Jubilant Energy wants our people to say “No to Petroleum Exploration in Manipur”.
The report and proposed move to organize public hearings with full security deployment is unreasonable as peoples voices can never be suppressed by any force including the military. Public hearings should not held under military duress and indeed, the deployment of security forces in the public hearings will only demean the entire purpose of the “public hearings”. Security forces are not meant to collude with private companies in burying the rights, aspirations and future of peoples, but rather to protect the peoples’ rights and interests. In democracy, governments are expected to uphold peoples’ voices. There can be no true development by relying on the military, militarization and suppression of peoples’ rights.
The CPNRM would like to urge upon the Government to respect the wishes and sentiments of indigenous peoples of Manipur against Oil Exploration and also to respect their rights over their land, natural resources and allow them to determine their own future. There should be no further flawed public hearings for oil exploration in and peoples clear verdict against Oil Exploration should be fully respected and honoured. No forces, no matter how powerful, can ever silence the voices of the peoples. Let the Jubilant Energy and the Government be aware that the land and resources in Manipur are not for sale and not for profits and plunder and that the people of Manipur will decide our destiny said a statement issued by Pamei Tingenlung, Convenor.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cpnrm-says-no-to-public-hearing-on-oil-exploration/
