ACTIVIST QUITS A.C.T. TO KEEP ORGANISATION APOLITICAL, WILL JOIN NEW PARTY ON CONDITION THAT IT IMPLEMENTS NO HYDEL PROJECTS
GANGTOK, 03 Feb: Founder-member and general secretary of Affected Citizens of Teesta [ACT], Dawa Lepcha, announced plans to join the new political outfit aligned to dissident SDF MLA PS Tamang when it is launched in Soreong on Monday. Making the announcement at a press conference held here at the Press Club of Sikkim today, Mr. Lepcha also informed that he has also resigned from ACT to reiterate the organisation’s apolitical credentials, but stressed that he will be taking is anti-dam position to his political career as well. His joining the new party, he underlined, would be conditional to the assurance that the party adopts an anti-dam stand and does not implement any hydel project if it forms the government.
Mr. Lepcha’s decision to join the new party has been welcomed and endorsed by all members of ACT.
Explaining his decision, Mr. Lepcha expressed that after hunger strikes, demonstrations, representations and other activities, he is convinced that there was now the need to pursue the cause of the dam affected citizens in more resurgent way. “Hence I decided to explore other options to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people,” he said of moving into politics now.
He informed that as an activist, he sat on a 63 day hunger strike in 2007 and then again for 96 days in 2008 and achieved the scrapping of 4 hydel projects out of 6 planned for Dzongu.
On the current scenario, he informed that the process of issuance of environmental clearance for Teesta HEP Stage IV has reached an advanced stage in the concerned Ministry despite the promoters having failed to hold a public hearing twice.
He shared that as an activist he has delivered all he possibly could in that role and since more needs to be achieved, he has decided to seek out political solutions by joining politics himself.
ACT working president, Tseten Lepcha, who accompanied him to the press conference, mentioned that the decision has been accepted by members of the organization and stressed that Mr. Dawa Lepcha will however always be part and parcel of the movement to defend the rights of the Sikkimese people. He also put on record that ACT acknowledges his sacrifices and contributions to speak for dam-affected citizens and thanks him for all that he has done so far.
On the organisation’s latest concern, its working president said, “The ACT expresses serious concern over the fact that the process of issuance of environmental clearance for Teesta HEP stage IV has reached advanced stage in the MoEF especially since this project has been opposed by all resident of Dzongu, particularly by the Power Minister, who is also area MLA, all panchayats and members of ACT.” He added that the grant of environmental clearance based on incomplete public hearing is a violation of basic rights of the Sikkimese people and went against the spirit of environmental policies of the country.
He added that even the issuance of Wildlife clearance by the State Wildlife Board was a serious violation of the rights of the stakeholders of the region and such major decisions without the prior informed consent of the local bodies like the Eco Development Committees and the JFMCs has defeated the very concept of Public Participation in Protection and stakeholders of the region.
He added that such major decision without the prior informed consent of the local bodies has also defeated the very concept of public participation in protection and preservation of the rich bio-diversity of the ecologically fragile region.
“This action has also contradicted the stand of the State government which had boycotted the public hearing twice,” he added. ACT has urged the concerned agencies to take necessary remedial step to stop the devastation of the region.
GANGTOK, 03 Feb: Founder-member and general secretary of Affected Citizens of Teesta [ACT], Dawa Lepcha, announced plans to join the new political outfit aligned to dissident SDF MLA PS Tamang when it is launched in Soreong on Monday. Making the announcement at a press conference held here at the Press Club of Sikkim today, Mr. Lepcha also informed that he has also resigned from ACT to reiterate the organisation’s apolitical credentials, but stressed that he will be taking is anti-dam position to his political career as well. His joining the new party, he underlined, would be conditional to the assurance that the party adopts an anti-dam stand and does not implement any hydel project if it forms the government.
Mr. Lepcha’s decision to join the new party has been welcomed and endorsed by all members of ACT.
Explaining his decision, Mr. Lepcha expressed that after hunger strikes, demonstrations, representations and other activities, he is convinced that there was now the need to pursue the cause of the dam affected citizens in more resurgent way. “Hence I decided to explore other options to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people,” he said of moving into politics now.
He informed that as an activist, he sat on a 63 day hunger strike in 2007 and then again for 96 days in 2008 and achieved the scrapping of 4 hydel projects out of 6 planned for Dzongu.
On the current scenario, he informed that the process of issuance of environmental clearance for Teesta HEP Stage IV has reached an advanced stage in the concerned Ministry despite the promoters having failed to hold a public hearing twice.
He shared that as an activist he has delivered all he possibly could in that role and since more needs to be achieved, he has decided to seek out political solutions by joining politics himself.
ACT working president, Tseten Lepcha, who accompanied him to the press conference, mentioned that the decision has been accepted by members of the organization and stressed that Mr. Dawa Lepcha will however always be part and parcel of the movement to defend the rights of the Sikkimese people. He also put on record that ACT acknowledges his sacrifices and contributions to speak for dam-affected citizens and thanks him for all that he has done so far.
On the organisation’s latest concern, its working president said, “The ACT expresses serious concern over the fact that the process of issuance of environmental clearance for Teesta HEP stage IV has reached advanced stage in the MoEF especially since this project has been opposed by all resident of Dzongu, particularly by the Power Minister, who is also area MLA, all panchayats and members of ACT.” He added that the grant of environmental clearance based on incomplete public hearing is a violation of basic rights of the Sikkimese people and went against the spirit of environmental policies of the country.
He added that even the issuance of Wildlife clearance by the State Wildlife Board was a serious violation of the rights of the stakeholders of the region and such major decisions without the prior informed consent of the local bodies like the Eco Development Committees and the JFMCs has defeated the very concept of Public Participation in Protection and stakeholders of the region.
He added that such major decision without the prior informed consent of the local bodies has also defeated the very concept of public participation in protection and preservation of the rich bio-diversity of the ecologically fragile region.
“This action has also contradicted the stand of the State government which had boycotted the public hearing twice,” he added. ACT has urged the concerned agencies to take necessary remedial step to stop the devastation of the region.
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