KOHIMA, Sept 26 – Youths of 10 Himalayan States of the country today strongly discouraged the rampant construction of mega dams and hydro power projects and urged the government to consult and take consent from the local community that is fair, transparent and accountable.
The Himalayan States include eight NE States and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling (West Bengal).
This was recommended by a group of 120 young delegates including young professionals at the end of the two- day 1st Indian Himalayan States Youth Summit which concluded at Kisama (Kohima) on Monday. However, it was formally announced as a Kohima Declaration on the second day of the on-going three-day Sustainable Mountain Development Summit III here at the Nagaland capital on Thursday.
The Declaration has also called upon the governments to declare the Himalayan States as organic zone to encourage youth entrepreneurship through promotion of local food and eco-tourism.
“We recommend the formation of working group with a fair and combined representation of youth, academics, experts, progressive farmers and government to review the existing agriculture policies of each mountain State and come up with recommendations and policies specific to this region”, said the two-page Kohima Declaration.
“We call upon the governments to declare the Himalayan States as organic zone to encourage youth entrepreneurship through promotion of local food and eco-tourism”.
It also demanded a farmer-friendly infrastructure, low cost post harvest technology, storage facilities easily accessible to farmers and villagers. The youths also called upon the State to implement integrated tourism policies empowering local communities and youths which would help in promoting eco-entrepreneurship.
We reaffirmed the Wildflife and Forest Acts and further suggest the reinforcement of the policies to curtail bio-piracy and stringent laws against poachers, adds the Declaration. We strongly urge the development policies implemented to be mountain-specific and eco-sensitive.
It further recommends inclusion of mountain specific environment education, local history, cultural and traditional knowledge, local languages in the high school and college curriculum.
“We suggest strict monitoring and implementation of minimum wage and labour policies, annual inventory of illegal immigrants and regulate the growing economic migrants”, it said.
The Summit also strongly felt the need to set up a youth wing in the Institution of Indian Mountain Initiative and further agree to organise the Indian Himalayan Youth Summit annually in Kohima.
The Himalayan States include eight NE States and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling (West Bengal).
The Declaration has also called upon the governments to declare the Himalayan States as organic zone to encourage youth entrepreneurship through promotion of local food and eco-tourism.
“We recommend the formation of working group with a fair and combined representation of youth, academics, experts, progressive farmers and government to review the existing agriculture policies of each mountain State and come up with recommendations and policies specific to this region”, said the two-page Kohima Declaration.
“We call upon the governments to declare the Himalayan States as organic zone to encourage youth entrepreneurship through promotion of local food and eco-tourism”.
It also demanded a farmer-friendly infrastructure, low cost post harvest technology, storage facilities easily accessible to farmers and villagers. The youths also called upon the State to implement integrated tourism policies empowering local communities and youths which would help in promoting eco-entrepreneurship.
We reaffirmed the Wildflife and Forest Acts and further suggest the reinforcement of the policies to curtail bio-piracy and stringent laws against poachers, adds the Declaration. We strongly urge the development policies implemented to be mountain-specific and eco-sensitive.
It further recommends inclusion of mountain specific environment education, local history, cultural and traditional knowledge, local languages in the high school and college curriculum.
“We suggest strict monitoring and implementation of minimum wage and labour policies, annual inventory of illegal immigrants and regulate the growing economic migrants”, it said.
The Summit also strongly felt the need to set up a youth wing in the Institution of Indian Mountain Initiative and further agree to organise the Indian Himalayan Youth Summit annually in Kohima.
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