GUWAHATI DECLARATION & RECOMMENDATIONS
We, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of North East India represented by 45 Indigenous Peoples organizations, Tribal Communities, Civil Society Organizations, Indigenous Peoples movements of NER and mainland India from 7th to 12th July, 2009, Guwahati, Assam, India participated in a Regional Training on Democracy and Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples of North East India. The primary objective of the training program was to educate individuals and indigenous groups on the issue of democracy and indigenous rights; to find resolutions for the ethnic clash and violence between the different communities, and to start a dialogue process and provide recommendations to the government in this regard. It is very vital to recognize, understand and to examine the root causes of the ethnic violence and chaos that has historically resulted from causes such as social exclusion, economic disparity, class and racial discrimination. It is important to comprehend the contemporary situation of the region resulting from large scale illegal immigration and marginalization of various communities.Herein the following are the recommendations resulting from our consultation and feedback:
1. Repeal the Armed Forces Special Power Act, (AFSPA) of 1958.
2. Dismantle the Unified Command structure and empower the state police to tackle the law and order situation in the region.
3. Amend the Indian Police Act, 1862 for ensuring better rights protection for the peoples of NER.
4. The Government of India must ratify UNCAT (United Nation Convention Against Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment).
5. We appeal to the state and all the non-state actors to ensure Human Rights in Compliance to the United Nations Geneva Convention.
6. Encourage the Participation of Women and Indigenous Peoples representatives as members in the state and national Human Rights Commission, and setup Womens Wing at the local level for filing petitions for any such violations.
7. The Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the Right to Life should be ensured and implemented in the North East Region.
8. Strict measures must be undertaken to check infiltration of illegal immigrants and the border must be sealed to stop the further infiltration of illegal immigrants.
9. Ensure safety and security of each and every Indigenous and Tribal group.
10. We must preserve Indigenous and Tribal culture and promote cultural research and initiate steps to preserve the indigenous culture by giving grants, assistance and conservation of ancient heritage, sites, historical monuments and structures depicting the ancient civilization of Indigenous communities of the region.
11. Encourage the participation of women in all decision-making processes and ensure Gender Equality.
12. Make Childrens Education Mandatory by including local languages or dialects in the School Curriculum in the NE Region.
13. Protect and preserve the Environmental Bio-Diversity of the NE Region.
14. Promote and encourage Indigenous Media funded by the state and establish Community Radio Service in the rural areas inhabited by the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.
15. We appeal to the state to fully implement the UNDRIP (United Nation Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples) for the socio-economic empowerment, and the protection and promotion of the Rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.
16. We appeal to all sectors to initiate the peace process and political dialogue with all the Ceasefire & Pro Talk Groups without further delay and to reach lasting solutions within the framework of the Indian Constitution by granting full regional autonomy to the Indigenous and Tribal communities in the North East Region.
Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples North East Zone (ICITP-NEZ)
Zonal Office, ICITP-NEZ
Banphool Nagar, Namghar Path,
P.O:Assam Sachivalaya
Dispur, Guwahati- 781006, Assam, India
Telefax: 0091-361-2611293
Telephone: 0091-361-2233298,
0091-9706149533(Mobile)
Email: icitp_nez@rediffmail.com,
info@icitp-nez.org
Website: www.icitp-nez.org