A delegation of the All Manipur Thanga People’s Welfare Association and All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen’s Union Manipur appeared before the national human rights commission (NHRC) in New Delhi on April 29. They appealed the panel to intervene and defend their rights to fishing and livelihood on phumdis in the Loktak lake.

The Loktak lake, 236.21 sq km in area and the largest fresh water lake in the northeast, is a Ramsar designated site (1990) and entered the Montreux Record (1993). The controversial Loktak Protection Act 2006 classified the lake into core and buffer zones. The core zone of 70.30 sq km abounds in floating phumdi created by decomposing mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matters. Several phum-huts were built on the phumdis for fishing activity and as primary home of the landless fishing community.

The Loktak development authority created under LPA has taken measures to strengthen the grips of the government on the lake. It implemented projects in the name of ‘saving’ the lake from pollution, contamination and human pressure. However, the projects have become contentious. It is being charged that the LDA issued an ultra vires eviction notification on November 11, 2011 and carried out forced eviction of about 777 phum-huts out of 1,147, inhabited by about 10,000 people, in and around Loktak lake between November 15 and 23 November 2011. In addition to the phum-huts, the LDA have destroyed Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan schools and National Rural Health Mission centres.

Arsoning and dismantling of phum-huts was justified by adopting a half-hearted compensation of Rs 40,000 per family. The amount was too less to compensate destructions of homesteads and fishing equipment, not to mention rehabilitation. Most families refused to accept it, while some who do not own or live in phumdis received backdoor compensation. Despite protests, the LDA went ahead with destruction of 14 Phum-huts in January 2012 without any notice. Between March 8, 2012 and March 29, 2013 the LDA destroyed 56 phum-huts in contravention to the Gauhati high court order of January 25, 2012. On February 16, 2013 a contempt notice was issued against the authorities for violating the court order. However, another arbitrary eviction effort was made on March 29, 2013.

There are many arguments against LPA. Firstly, the Act was enforced without prior informed consent of the people who for several generations have been dependent on the lake. It is ironical to discover that most technical terms mentioned in the Act are not properly defined for open debate and consensus. Secondly, increasing volume of phumdis, chemical contamination, and human pressure in the lake are the result of the controversial Ithai barrage that had blocked the natural flow of water and rendered thousands of people landlessness due to submersion of vast tracks of the land under the water. Thirdly, the ongoing cleansing and displacement project is primarily designed by politicians, contractors and their agents who make money out of projects. They want to push projects at any cost, even if that means violation of rights and contempt of court order. It led to the destruction of property and displacement of the vast chunk of the lower class fisher community whose homesteads, livelihood and socio-cultural system are connected to Loktak.

This is not the first time that there is a project-versus-rights scenario in Manipur. The state government remains highly corrupt and irresponsive to the democratic demand against destructive projects. For the present issue, the affected families had to bear the extra burden of raising funds to send a delegation to the NHRC. On April 29 they submitted a memorandum with a list of demands which include among others: repeal Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006, allow rebuilding Phum huts as before, enact a Manipur Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Rights and Welfare Act and review the Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project for possible decommission of Ithai barrage.

NHRC chairperson justice KG Balakrishnan, who headed the full commission hearing, took a serious note of the matter. He assured the delegation that the NHRC would institute an inquiry and the affected people would also be heard. It remains to be seen if the assurance materialises and the demands of the affected families are met. Meanwhile, the Loktak issue should be food for thought for the authorities at the state and central levels. The leadership and senior officials need to respond so that projects do not add to displacement and unrest.