Dimapur May 10 (MExN): In a hard hitting yet significant statement, the North East Students Union (NESO) has pointed out that India is not interested with the people of the Northeast but with its Real Estates. “The NE belongs to the people of the region and any development in this part of India must address the interests and concern of the indigenous people and not the multi-national and international companies” Dr Samujjal Bhatacharjya, NESO Chairman and NSN Lotha, General Secretary cautioned in a joint statement seriously viewing what it termed the motives of the central government and its attitude towards the interests of the NE people.
NESO in this regard reaffirmed that it would continue to oppose any developmental initiatives “which does not provide long-term sustainable benefits”. The organization maintained that all major developments initiated by the central government in the NE have never been consultative. “Interest of the local and indigenous people of the NE does not find importance in the master plans of such developments ranging from projects like dams, Hydel, oil and natural gas, other minerals etc. It is because the interest of the multi-national and international companies overrules the local concern and the government bows down to their dictates” the statement maintained adding that the ‘total discard’ has resulted in considerable number of protests by the effected people leading to eventual casualties.
“(These protests) are not taken into consideration but are always met with repressive forces of the state or the military might of India. In other words, development is forced upon the people at the expense of the people. It is a ground reality that the Indian army guards all the major installations of the central government in NE” the NESO asserted while warning that it would not tolerate imposition of development ‘at the barrel of the gun.’
Citing the instance of Mizoram and Tripura where the Shwe Gas pipeline is being laid passing through the two aforementioned states in which serious concern is being raised by the local populace due to environmental hazards and other factors, the NESO said the government has been blinded only by commercial interests, ignoring the protests of the people.
Terming it “development at the barrel of the gun” the NESO charged the government of using the army, in the name of security, to acquire lands with the army managing the whole affair of guarding installations while committing atrocities on the local people who might want to assert their rights.
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