টিপাইমুখে বাধ দিতে শুরু করার প্রতিবাদে ইংল্যন্ডে বাংলাদেশী ছাত্ররা আগামীকাল লন্ডনে ইন্ডিয়ান হাই কমিশনের সামনে এক প্রতিবাদ সভার আয়োজন করেছে... সেই উপলক্ষে একটা লিফলেট তৈরি করেছি। সবার সাথে সেটা শেয়ার করার লোভ সামলাতে পারলাম না। যদিও ইংরেজি লিখতে হয়েছে। INDIA: STOP TIPAIMUKH DAM YOU CAN NOT MAKE US YOUR BONSAI PLANT India treats the Indo-Bangladesh relationship like a martial relationship between an elephant and an ant; where we don’t have any say as the ant. India knows very well that we (160 million) rely on their mercy. We are under their claw as bordered three sides. Bangladesh has 54 common rivers with India among 700 in total. That is why they don’t care about our rights to live, minimum decency with neighbour country or even any international treaties that they have signed to say they will oblige. It is now a matter of question “Did Indira Gandhi send her troops to get us freedom or to make us their biggest market? Did she played a well-planned trick that by any means getting us out of Pakistan’s claws and make us disable by destroying our rivers, lands, bio-diversities and culture so that we always beg them for our existence?” West part of Bangladesh is already dying thirsty because of the Farakka Barrage on Ganga. Tipaimukh Dam on Barak will kill the east and Brahmaputra the north. Ganga, Barak and Brahmaputra are the main feeder of our Padma, Jamuna and Meghna. India is going to build 4 more dams on Barak and 6 more on Brahmaputra. India has got very bad records respecting human rights and environmental laws. By building Tipaimukh Dam India has violated the following international laws and conventions: 1. Joint River Commission agreement between Bangladesh and India 1972. 2. Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses 1997. 3. Ganges water sharing treaty 1996. 4. UN International Environmental Treaty 1992. 5. WB and IUCNs’ World Commission on Dams Treaty 1998. 6. UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 2010. 7. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007. 8. UN Declaration on the Right to Development 1986. 9. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights by UN 1948. 10. India’s Prime Minister Monmohan Singh has broken his own promise. While visited Bangladesh last year he said ‘India would not take steps on the proposed Tipaimukh Project that would adversely affect Bangladesh.’ But on November 19th 2011 the Indian state of Manipur has signed contracts with several Indian government agencies to build the dam. What can we do? Create pressure domestically: 1. Read and share research papers, news articles talk shows on social networking sites, write blogs. Everything is easy to do on internet. 2. Raise public awareness regarding India’s Water Policy. Like Farakka, Tipai, and other dams to be built on 6 other international rivers. 3. Discuss with friends and families regarding the issue and take their comments. Remember not to spoil the atmosphere though. 4. Support and follow the active individuals and organizations who are working hard to stop the dam projects. 5. Amazingly present the issue with you Indian friends and help them to discover the truth. 6. Sign the petition of ‘’TIPAIMUKH DAM MUST BE STOPPED’ ’on http://www.change.org and ask others to participate. Create pressure internationally: 1. Respectively Write to Indian high commissioners around the world and remind them what they say and what they are doing. 2. Especially Write to Indian high commission at Dhaka and create as much pressure as possible. 3. Any one you know working for foreign ministry of Bangladesh government please ask them to do their best to stop it. 4. Write to the reputed universities (university of Delhi, university of Tripura, university of Dhaka and so on) and their researchers to act for the sake of human rights and regional peace. Support and inspire journalists, NGOs’ and activists in both countries who are desperately working against building dam. We can make our government bound to do the followings: 1. Stop the transit facilities. 2. Discourage to follow the security and such other agreements that are in place. 3. Stop working for those who are against building dam on Brahmaputra by China. If China builds dam on up steam India’s dam will be the empty vessels (won’t sound much). 4. Unless we are self-help on our food and technologies we can import them from other neighbour countries rather than India. India is allowing only 5% compare to what we import from them, even Indian People are eager for Bangladeshi products. 5. Bangladesh will vote against the veto-wielding permanent membership Champaign for which India is dreaming since 1992. And inspire others to do the same. 6. Take it to UN court of Justice for this unlawful work. Date: 5th January 2012. Bangladeshi Students in the UK.