What is happening to our forests in Northeast India

India’s North East

What is happening to our Forest?

• AREA – 262,230 sq kms• 8 states of Arunachal, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur,

Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya• Borders Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar &

Bangladesh• Population – 465,000,000 (aprox – 50 mil)• More than 300 overlapping Communities• Forest area Average = more than 50%

BASICS ON NORTH EAST

• History• Threats (Old & New)• Mobilization and Organizing• Special Lessons

STRUCTURE

History

• Jhumia! Theory – Stacking up the Mountains• British! Early 19 Century. Tea and Oil. (1891 –

Asia First Oil Refinery). • 1947 India’s Independence. • Controversial Mergers with India!• Armed Struggles Continues till today• Armed Forces Special Powers Act (1958)

Threats

• 1990s Post Liberalization is threatening• Rivers, Land, Forest, whats beneath not safe• Dams, Mining, Traditional Agriculture and

Production Systems, Forest – Not Safe• State + Corporations • Political Settlements not complete! (old

conflicts)

New Threats

• Trade Corridors/Unlocking the Region• State and Private Companies become ONE! • New Players Bilateral & Multilateral Institutions• Becomes a global playfield • New Definitions of everything like forest becomes

carbon Sink. Not Earning 2 Dollars! You need to come out of poverty!

Forest Categories• State Reserve Forest• Parks, Bio-reserves ….• Community Forest/Un-classified (owned,

controlled & Managed by Communities)

DAMS

Dams in Arunachal State

127 Dams, 59 Dam Builders, 42591 MW, 44 Rivers

TEESTA Anti-Dam STRUGGLES

ANTI DAM PROTEST IN ARUNCHAL

MAPITHEL DAM-CHADONG VILLAGE CHURCH, MANIPUR

HERE WE LOST

Communities Have Defended with their lives.Tawang, Arunachal

OIL Mining

Anti-Oil mining rally

Jubilant Energy NV, Amsterdam has not been able to conduct Public Hearing many times

CLIMATE CHANGE REALATED

BIO-FUEL (Food Vs Oil)REDD+ (now we will pay you for protecting)

Tripura Plantation

BP-D1, Williamson-Magor Jathropa Plantations

REDD+ at Mawphlang in Meghalaya State

A Sacred Grove now a Carbon Sink

Mizoram REDD+ Project

INFRASTRUCTURESUnlocking the North East

Trans Asian Railway linking Portion with South East Asia Component

FOREST INTO CASH CROPSJhum Agriculture!

LIVELIHOOD PROJECTSRUBBER, PALM OIL, COFFEE, TEA, FRUITS,

FLOWERS………

Special Lessons

• Self Determined Future • Self Determined Path of Development • Aggressiveness!• Parliamentary Democracy! leaders become

enemies!• Need to do more! Increase our tribe• We need a push back! Collaborate! Fight