Dhaka Times Desk Tipaimukh has come forward again. It has been published in various newspapers and magazines that four citizens and environmental organizations of India have called upon Bangladesh to take appropriate measures to prevent the construction of Tipaimukh Dam on the Barak River without being confused by the Indian government's assurances and public actions.
In a joint statement sent to various national and international news agencies on June 8, the organizations called on the people and government of Bangladesh. The reporting organizations are Action Committee on Tipaimukh (ACTP), Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Center for Organizational Research and Education (CORE) and Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action (FIPA). These organizations have been agitating for a long time to prevent the construction of a dam in Tipaimukh to prevent the terrible environmental disaster. The Bangladeshi journalist team's 20-minute circling of the project area on June 6 with helicopters in the sky 'will inevitably be used to create opinions in favor of the dam,' the statement said. But without getting confused by this, the people and government of Bangladesh should take a responsible decision so that India cannot go ahead with this dam project.
It added, 'While we wish to view the visit of the Bangladeshi journalist team positively, it is clear that this air-survey by the journalist team (along with the air tour of the previous parliamentary delegation) is definitely part of the 'hydro-power tourism' of the Indian government and the dam builders. The statement raises the question, what or how much can actually be learned in a 20-minute aerial flight over a dam project area?
The statement also said, 'The central government of India is not having any kind of dialogue with the people whose livelihood and natural environment will be in danger in the dam area. Even after protesting against this dam for 15 years, they still have no part in the decision-making process.' Quoting various expert assessments, it is said 'to the people of Bangladesh', 'not only the livelihood of the tribal and tribal people of the upstream Barak valley, but also the livelihood and environment of downstream Bangladesh will be endangered as a result of this dam. So, at this moment of crisis, the people and the government of Bangladesh must take a responsible decision.
Mohammad Jasimuddin, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, circled over the Tipaimukh Dam area of the Barak Valley between the Indian states of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram in a helicopter for 20 minutes on the invitation of the Government of India. In response to this, on June 8, Indian activist organizations complained that they were visiting the country at the invitation of the Indian central government to create public opinion in Bangladesh in favor of the Tipaimukh dam, despite fearing huge losses to local tribal-tribals and downstream Bangladeshi people on the Abhinna Barak River (Surma in Bangladesh). However, the Indian government claims that the air tour was organized to 'monitor and evaluate' the Tipaimukh project.
It should be noted that there is a lot of tension between India and Bangladesh regarding the Tipaimukh dam. Especially the political parties of Bangladesh have been opposing this dam. Today the people of Bangladesh are vocal. Because Bangladesh does not want to fall into the same situation that our country has created by building the Farakka dam. The government should see to it that India cannot start the work of this dam by making a show tour.
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