April 1, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ members visited Wood Land Hospital to take stalk of the injured participants of the Training on Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Capacities namely Mr. H. kievom, Mr. C.H. Varte, Mr. Immanuel Zersosang Varte and Mr. Brando Lee who met with a severe road accident on the way back to home from the training at Guwahati in the night of 30 th March 2008. Mr. H. Kievom and Mr. C.H. Varte suffered major injuries that remained in comma for over a month. ICITP-NEZ appealed all their friends and supporters to donate for their medical treatment and they received all kinds of assistance from their friends around the world.

April 2, 2007 : The ICITP-NEZ members visited the Office of the Nodal Officer, State Medicinal Plants Board, C/O. Director of Health Services, Assam, Hengrabari, Guwahati-36 to discuss over a proposed project of Medicinal Plants Plantation to be done in Santipur Area in Chirang District of BTC. Mr. Andrios Narzari, Mrs. Vasavi Kiro, Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, Ms. Pompi Basumatary and Mr. Gunjal Irik Munda participated in the discussion with Dr. R. K. Sharma on the proposed project.

April 3, 2007 : Members of ICITP-NEZ facilitated Ms. Trisha Riedy, UNITAR, Geneva and Dr. Ram Dayal Munda to visit Mr. Prithibi Majhi, the hon’ble Minister of Planning & Development, Labour & Employment and Tea Tribes Welfare, Assam in his office in Dispur to discuss on the future work on Peace process in the region. She had a joy ride in the river of Brahmaputtra after the meeting accompanied by Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary and Miss Pompi Basumatary. Ms. Trisha left Guwahati by evening in the same day.

April 4, 2007 : Mr. Jason Pan, Ms. Meenakshi Munda and other zonal leaders left for home after post training brief meetings for follow up with the ICITP-NEZ team members.

April 6, 2007 : Mr. Kebaron Naiding along with his team members from Dimasa Students Union (DSU) visited ICITP-NEZ for audit purpose of the Haflong Field Trip programme.

April 11, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, Mr. Andrios Narzari and 5 other senior members of ICITP-NEZ met Mr. Kampa Borgoyary, the Deputy Chief of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) at his residence at Kokrajhar to discuss on the prevailing conflict situation in the Boro dominated areas due to recent spurt of factional killings between the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and the Ex- Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF). The visiting team appealed him to intervene and contribute in the Peace building process in the BTC areas in particular and in the region in general.

April 14, 2007 : Dr. R. K. Sharma, the Nodal Officer of National Medicinal Plants Plantation Board, Assam came to visit ICITP-NEZ and held a consultation meeting with the members of the Society for Aie Valley Manas Area Road and Communication Development Project, an MO of the ICITP-NEZ on the proposed project of plantation and distillation of Citronella Plants in Santipur, BTC.

April 23, 2007 : Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, Mr. Rohendra Wary and few other members of ICITP attended a meeting of Technical Support Group on the New Forest Law, Government of India held at the Secretariat Conference Hall, Shillong. ICITP-NEZ strongly intervened to carry out more open consultations involving all sections of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the region before finalizing their technical reports and submitting the same to the Government of India.

April 24, 2007 : ICITP zonal leaders along with two scientists Dr. R.K Sharma, M. Sc. Ph. D, Regional Research Laboratory, Jorhat and Dr. R.K. Sharma, MD (Ay) Ph. D, Nodal Officer, State Medicinal Plants Board, Assam, Guwahati and Dr. Ram Dayal Munda visited the site of the proposed project on Citronella Plants Plantation & Distillation in a joint collaboration with ICITP-NEZ and the Society For Aie Valley Manas Area Road and Communication Development Project at Santipur, BTC. After the site visit, an open meeting was held with the local communities on the proposed project and a consensus was reached to fully participate by the local communities in the project since the project would occur on a vast deforested vacant land measuring over 250 hectors that has become a subject of encroachment by unwanted illegal migrants posing a threat to the local Indigenous Boro People and their local environment. The proposed project would be taken up under the Ministry of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj’s programme called PPPP (People, Private, Panchayat Partnership).

April 25, 2007 : ICITP-EZ held a meeting with Mr. Amit Jain, the Director of the Federation of Industries & Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER), Guwahati on various issues that concern the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in relation to Industries and Commerce in the region. ICITP-NEZ appealed Mr. Jain not to take up anti peoples’ policies and programmes in the region and to cooperate in peoples’ friendly projects to help sustaining the economy of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in the region. Mr. Jain assured the ICITP team of cooperating with them in protecting and promoting their interest in all possible manners.

May 9, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ in collaboration with Dimasa Students’ Union submitted a project proposal on Food Processing Unit to the Government of India, Ministry of Food Processing Industries for Haflong, NC Hills, Assam. Mr. Koibolal Hagjer, Dr. Ram Dayal Munda and Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary jointly submitted the project in New Delhi after consulting with Mr. Subodh Kant Sahaya, the Hon’ble Minister of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.

May 14-25, 2007 : A delegation team of ICITP comprising with Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, Dr. Anand Besra and Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary participated in the Sixth Session of the UNPFII in New York. ICITP-NEZ submitted a joint submission on the special theme “Territories, Lands and Natural Resources” along with CORE-Manipur. They also participated in the side event organized by the “World Hmong People’s Congress” and “Hmong Chaofa State” held in Church Centre, NY on 18 th of May from 2:00 pm to 4:20 pm local time.

June 4, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ clarified its official position on the Asia Caucus’ Statement of Concern signed and circulated by few misinformed Asia IP participants in the Sixth Session of UNPFII.

June 10, 2007 : Core members of ICITP-NEZ along with the Executive Members of the Society for Aie Valley and Manas Area Road and Communication Development Project held a meeting with Dr. R.K Sharma, the regional coordinator of North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat to follow up the proposed project on Citronella Plants Plantation & Distillation in Santipur, BTC.

June 18, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ along with CORE-Manipur, nominated Jointly Mr. Thinley Penjore and Mr. Tenzin G Zangpo, Senior leaders of Druk National Congress, Bhutan to the 2 nd Asian Democracy & Human Rights Award instituted by “Taiwan Foundation for Democracy”.

June 22, 2007 : Few members of ICITP-NEZ along with the members of the Society for Aie valley and Manas Area Road and Communication Development Project visited Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jorhat to meet Dr. Rao, the Director of the same to discuss on the official process of seeking technical support on the proposed project on Citronella Plants Plantation and Distillation in Santipur, BTC. Dr. Rao assured to extend all possible support to make the project a grand success for the benefit of the local Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of BTC.

June 23-25, 2007 : ICITP carried out an action campaign by sending emails and fax messages to all the political leaders of India including the President of the Indian National Congress Party Ms. Sonia Gandhi on the matter of the Indian Presidential and Vice Presidential Election. ICITP raised the issue of non inclusion of any candidate belonging to Tribal communities of India in the said posts in 60 years of Indian Independence and urged them to nominate Dr. Ram Dayal Munda or Mr. Prithibi Majhi for the post of Vice President of India with the following message:

To,
Smt. Sonia Gandhi
President of Indian National Congress (I)
10 Janpath, New Delhi

 Dated, ICITP-NEZ, Guwahati, the 23 rd of June 2007

Subject: Appeal for choosing candidate for Vice President of India from Tribal Communities.

Dear Madam,

Greetings! Namaskar! Congratulation for nominating Ms. Pratibha Patil for the 12th Presidential Election as your UPA-Left alliance candidate. This is a historic event in India.

Mean while I would like to draw your urgent attention to the following fact:

These few days we have been observing that all Indian political leaders including you were busy looking for the 12th presidential candidate. Within the period of sixty years of independent India three terms went to the Muslim minority, one to Sikh minority and one to the Scheduled Caste (S.C.). But unfortunately the people in India could never found President, Vice President or Prime Minister from the weaker section of the society particularly the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the country. The weaker section of the society in India had been neglected and deprived for so long though they had been contributing equally in the Nation building. Under these circumstances, the following questions arise.

1 Are the Indigenous and the Tribal Peoples of India second class citizen?

2 Does the privileged society still think that the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples are not capable

of holding the said post? Or

3. is it because Indigenous and Tribal Peoples do not have any national political affiliation to facilitate or lobby for this process?

The political parties and the politicians in India must rethink to give a chance to the capable personalities belonging to the weaker section of the Indian Society, who are equally competent with the privileged society for these top posts. The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in India have been colonized, dominated and exploited, suppressed and oppressed by the privileged society in every respect. Our respected leaders have been talking about the reservation for minorities and underprivileged to win the hearts of the grassroots to buy votes to remain in power. According to the Census Report 2001, the population percentage of the tribal People in India is 8.2%.

The Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, the only apex body of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of India would like to appeal to all the political parties and political leaders to rethink and reconsider to nominate Vice President from Indigenous and Tribal community to prove your commitments to the Constitution of India that we all are equal.

In this connection, ICITP on behalf of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of India would like to appeal your honour to nominate an appropriate Senior Tribal leader like Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, the former Vice Chancellor of the Ranchi University and the topmost dynamic social leader of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of India or Shri Prithibi Majhi, the Hon’ble Minister of Planning and Development, Labour and Employment and Tea Tribes Development of Assam who is also equally competent and honest raising popular Tribal leader of the country as a consensus candidate to the post of the Vice President of India for this 12th Vice President's election from your UPA – Left alliance. If this is fulfilled, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (Adivasis) of India will feel that justices are beginning to be delivered by the privileged society, which will surely assuage the feeling of long neglect and discrimination. Further, this will raise credential of Indian Nation in the eyes of the International Community. For this India needs strong political will and courage and this is only possible if you are taking up the matter.

Looking forward to seeing your exemplarily historic decision in the history of Indian politics and a strong commitment towards the upliftment of weaker section of the people, particularly the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the country.

With highest regards,

(Jebra Ram Muchahary)
Chief President of Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ICITP)
Guwahati , Assam
Phone: 09435026173

July 3- 12, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the President of ICITP-NEZ participated in the 11th Session of intergovernmental committee on intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore (IGC-GRTKF) of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), held in Geneva on WIPO’s financial support. Apart from taking active part in the deliberation, Mr. Muchahary also made the following opening statement during the session:

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND GENETIC RESOURCES, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE

Eleventh Session
Geneva , July 3 to 12, 2007
Opening Statement by Jebra Ram Muchahary, ICITP

Mr. Chairman,

Greetings! Gwjwnthwng! Namaskar!

I would like to join in congratulating you for your re-election as the Chair for this 11 th session of IGC on IPGRTKF.

I also would like to thank the WIPO secretariat for providing me Voluntary Fund to participate in this session and there by facilitating my organization to participate in the deliberation.

My name is Jebra Ram Muchahary and I belong to Boro Indigenous People of Assam in India. I represent Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in the capacity of the Chief President.

Mr. Chair, we are over 100 millions of people commonly described as Scheduled Tribes in India. Official census of 2001 indicates that we are 8.2% of the total population of the country. Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ICITP) is the national apex body of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples that work for the total welfare and other concerned issues of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in the country.

Mr. Chair, we have heard the opening statements made by the representatives of many Governments including India. I do appreciate the efforts and concerned expressed by the various government delegations including India in protecting and promoting the INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND GENETIC RESOURCES, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS AND FOLKLORES.

While appreciating the tremendous work and contribution made by India in theses processes to push forward for the concrete result, however, through this august forum I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Government of India to make the ongoing efforts to be more collaborative and inclusive in order to collectively work out more effective and practical approaches on the ground for the mutual benefits, particularly for the benefit of the right holders (IPs) and the state.

I also would like to take this opportunity to urge the Government of India to recognise the very fundamental issue of “Indigenous status” of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the country by ratifying the ILO convention-169 in order respect the presence of IPs in the country and to strengthen the national position in safeguarding the Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Expression of Folklore of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.

Finally, I also would like to appeal the Asian Governments, particularly India, who abstained in the last UN General Assembly not to abstain in the ensuing UN General Assembly but to support the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples which will demonstrate strengthened mutual understanding and cooperation between IPs and the state towards finding PEACEFUL SOLUTION in all matters that effect directly or indirectly in Indigenous Peoples’ affairs and to push further for positive outcome to address the issues of GR, TK, TCEs and EoF.

I thank you Mr. Chair for your kind attention.

(Jebra Ram Muchahary)
Chief President, ICITP

July 19, 2007: 5 members of ICITP-NEZ participated in a public meeting organized by Panbari Manas National Park Protection & Eco-tourism Society at Panbari High School Play ground, Panbari where more than 30 Poachers and over 232 Wood cutters publicly surrendered before the public and the Government officials of BTC including Mr. Kampa Borgoyary, the Hon’ble Executive Member of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) who graced the Surrender Ceremony Function as Chief Guest. This was the first example of its kind in the contemporary history of Manas National Park where on a joint afford of local IP NGOs and the Government agencies such a great step of volunteer surrendering event of Poachers and Wood cutters took place. ICITP-NEZ expressed happiness over the successful sensitization/awareness programme towards protection and preservation of Forest and Wild life in Manas initiated by the members of the Panbari Manas National Park Protection & Eco-tourism Society, an affiliated member Organisation of ICITP-NEZ. The meeting was well attended by over 2000 local villagers.

August 9, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ along with its few MOs organized a simple Candle Prayer Programme to mark the World Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration in the Boroland Children’s Home at Bijni from 11:00 AM to 1 PM where more than 100 Indigenous school children and local IPs leaders took active participation. The message from UN Secretary General Mr. Banki Moon was read out by Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the President of ICITP-NEZ during his speech in the celebration. Delegates from Boro Peoples Welfare Society, Kokrajhar; Borosa Onsai Afat, Bijni; Self Employed Boro Women’s Association (SEBWA), Bijni; St. John’s Mission, Bijni; Rege-Regang, Kokrajhar and Boroland Children’s Home, Bijni spoke on the significance of the day and appealed to the government of India through the local media to ratify the ILO 169 for the honourable recognition and the existence of the Indigenous Peoples in India and call for vote to support the DRIP in the ensuing UN Assembly.

August 12-13, 2007 : Few members of ICITP-NEZ along with few members of the Dimasa Students’ Union (DSU) visited New Delhi to follow up the proposed project on Food Processing Unit.

August 24, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ supported and facilitated the medical treatment of an elderly Boro Indigenous Social Activist Mrs. Sarala Narzary who was hospitalized and operated upon in the Central Nursing Home, Dispur, Guwahati, Assam.

September 6, 2007 : A joint team of ICITP-NEZ and the Society for Aie Valley and Manas Area Road and Communication Development Project held a series of meetings with Mr. Amit Jain, the Director of FINER and Mr. Kalyan Chakrabarti, PD, Government of Assam seeking support on the proposed project on Citronella Plantation and Distillation in Santipur, BTC.

September 19-21, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the President of ICITP-NEZ participated in the 1 st International Indigenous Expert Consultations on ABS organized & sponsored by the Secretariat of the CBD in Montreal, Canada.

September 29-30, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary and Dr. Ram Dayal Munda participated in a workshop on “India – United Sates Scholarly Dialogue on Affirmative Action” jointly organized by the Institute of Social Sciences, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Ash Institute for Democracy Governance and Innovation, Harvard University, USA and African American Policy Forum, USA. The ICITP team apprised of the latest situation of the Tribal Peoples in India.

October 2, 2007 : A team of ICITP comprising of Dr. Ram Dayal Munda, Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary and Mrs. Vasvi Kiro participated in the “Janadesh” organized by Ekta Parishad in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh where more than 25000 poor landless Tribal People and other local communities gathered to March towards New Delhi to press their demand for their land rights. The event was well attended by over 100 international supporters and national leaders.

October 4, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ held a meeting with the members of Dimasa community for strategic planning programme for evolving a new policy guidelines for the future work on realization of Dimaraji.

October 12-14, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ in collaboration with All Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU) organized a three-day intensive training programme on “CAPACITY BUILDING/LEADERSHIP TRAINING” at Haflong House, Guwahati where 26 young leaders belonging to Dimasa community were trained and empowered for effective participation in all matters that they are directly or indirectly involved including decision making for the welfare of the Dimasa society.

October 19-21, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the Chief President of ICITP has participated in the three-day “Integrated Water Training Conference” organized by EDGE OUTREACH, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Mr. Muchahary invited EDGE OUTREACH to impart training in India in collaboration with ICITP in 2008.

November 1-2, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ facilitated the submission of a Project Proposal on Dimasa Dairy Farm, Gunjung, NC Hills for the benefit of the local communities in NC Hills. Mr. Subodh Kant Sahaya recommended the project for approval under his Ministry.

November 3-4, 2007 : ICITP-NEZ team visited Kokrajhar along with Mr. Amit Jain, the Director of FINER to assess the project site on Citronella Plantation and Distillation in Santipur and held a meeting with Mr. Kampa Borgoyary, the Deputy Chief of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on the prospect of the proposed project. The visiting team requested the BTC authority to cooperate for successful implementation of the project.

November 18, 2007 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the President of ICITP-NEZ visited the villagers in Barlawgaon in Bijni, Chirang in BTC to apprise of a project proposal on “Training on Safe & Pure Drinking Water” in collaboration with EDGE OUTREACH, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The village welcomed the proposal and invited ICITP-NEZ and EDGE OUTREACH to set up drinking water tank and pump in the village to help villagers to get safe drinking water. Mr. Muchahary also dedicated a Purifier Machine set donated to him during the recent training programme held in Louisville by some unanimous friend in US to the Barlawgaon Catholic Church Committee to be installed for purification of water through chlorination.

November 21-30, 2007 : A joint delegation team of ICITP-NEZ and Dimasa Peoples’ Council (DPC) carried out a joint campaign to press on the issue of “Dimaraji”, who met the high officials of Ministry of Home Affairs including Mr. Navin Verma, Joint Secretary to the Government of India, in-charge of North East, MHA, Mr. R. N Ravi, MHA and Mr. Subodh Kant Sahaya, the Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Food Processing Industries, Government of India, New Delhi for intervention. The team also submitted a memorandum to Shri Shivraj Patil, the Hon’ble Home Minister urging him to expedite the peace negotiation between DHD and the Government of India and appealed him to settle the Dimaraji issue politically.

December 1, 2007 : Three members from ICITP-NEZ participated in one day workshop on “Interim Progress of Preparing North Easter Integrated Flood and River bank Management Project organized by Water resources department, Government of Assam in collaboration with Asian Development Bank (ADB) at Administrative Staff College, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam.

December 14-18, 2007: Four members from ICITP participated in South Asia Regional Training/Seminar on Biodiversity and related conventions and Indigenous Peoples organized by International Centre for Indigenous Nationalities (INCEND), Nepal and International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forest (IATPTF) at Dhulikel, Kathmandu, Nepal.

January 3, 2008 : A team of ICITP-NEZ visited the office of the Director of WPT in Dispur, Guwahati and met Mr. Jiten Borgoyry, the Director to apprise him of the proposed project on Citronella Plantation and Distillation in Santipur, BTC. Mr. Borgoyary assured the delegation to support for the successful implementation of the project.

January 6-7, 2008 : Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, the General Secretary of ICITP-NEZ was invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Conference of the All Boro Peace Forum (ABPF) held at Batashipur Dhekiajuli, Sanitpur as Chief Guest.

January 10, 2008 : Members from ICITP-NEZ along with Mr. Amit Jain, the Director of FINER held a meeting on with Mr. Kampa Borgoyary, the Deputy Chief of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to follow up the project on Citronella Plantation and Distillation in Santipur, BTC.

January 22, 2008 : Members of ICITP-NEZ along with the members of the Society for Aie Valley Manas Area Road Communication Development Project held a meeting with the Director of Indian Institute of Entrepreneurs (IIE), Guwahati to follow up on the progress of the proposed Citronella Plantation to be sponsored by the Ministry of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj.

January 31, 2008 : ICITP-NEZ organized its 6 th General Assembly in active collaboration with the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), Rabha Hasong Sixth Schedule Demand Committee and All Rabha Women Council (ARWC) at Dudhnoi in Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC). Apart from local Rabha delegates, more than 100 IPs delegates registered to participate in the Assembly. The details of the Assembly is given in the following minutes of the programme:

Proceedings of the 6 th General Assembly of ICITP-NEZ

The 6 th General Assembly of Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples North East Zone (ICITP–NEZ) was organized at Rabha Hasong 6 th Schedule Demand Committee’s Conference Hall, Dudhnoi, Goalpara, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), and Assam which was hosted by the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU) on the 31 st of January 2008. The participants and the distinguished guests were warmly welcomed with the Rabha and Boro Traditional Cultural Expressions. Dr. R.D. Munda, Chief Adviser of ICITP and Ex Vice Chancellor of Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jharkhand was unanimously inducted as the Chair for the session. The Assembly was welcomed by Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the Chief President of ICITP. In his welcome address, he mentioned about the tensed situation of NE Zone, especially in Assam. He also said that Mr. Raphael Kujur the Treasurer of the organization was currently under police custody due to recent 24 th November Beltola incident. In his support a bandh was called by All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) on the next day. He thanked Rabha leaders for taking their strong imitative to host the 6 th General Assembly of ICITP-NEZ in Dudhnoi. He appreciated the participants for attending the Assembly and urged them to contribute in the deliberation particularly for the recommendations for onward submission to the authorities and parties concerned.

As per the next agenda of the Assembly all the participants who arrived from different part of Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Jharkhand and Bhutan introduced briefly themselves one after another. They introduced themselves mentioning about their organization (MOs) to which they belong to. Then the dignitaries were facilitated by the host of the General Assembly. The facilitation was done by Mr. Tankeswar Rabha, the President of the All Rabha Students’ Union, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), Dudhnoi, Goalpara, Assam.

The activity reports of the ICITP-NEZ was read out by Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, the General Secretary of the organisation. The detail report of activity was supplemented by Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the Chief President of ICITP. He mentioned that Mr. Hebol Koloi, a human rights activist in Tripura was put in a jail for long time but with the effort of Dr. R. D. Munda and the Chief President, who visited his Excellency, the Governor of Tripura in February 2007, he was released and rejoined his family. He mentioned that working with Dr. Munda was always advantageous and smooth for his personal capacity and impressions.

In his deliberation, the Chief President also highlighted that the Governor of Nagaland was encouraged to assist Nagaland Children’s Home during Dr. Munda and Mr. Jebra’s visit to him in December 2006. He mentioned that this credit actually goes to Dr. R.D. Munda, which was done only because of his personal close relationship with the Governor of Nagaland.

He also mentioned that the certain quarter of some rival organisations operating from New Delhi has been carrying out a hatred campaign against the ICITP labeling it to be the Government’s Agent. He also cautioned to be aware and remain watchful against some agents of rival groups operating in the region in the name of Indigenous Forum in the region and alerted the house to be vigilant against such vested interest individual and groups who are all stooped to defame ICITP and the solidarity movements of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in the region. He mentioned that the baseless allegations invented by those individuals/ rival groups was automatically removed by the committed, dedicated and selfless zonal leaderships and their strong mass supports. He further went on saying that the ICITP is the only genuine movement based civil society of India, which can understand and work effectively for the welfare of the down trodden Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the country. He also expressed hope that very soon the ICITP would not only attain the United Nations ECOSOC consultative status but also get recognition as the advisory body to the government of India particularly for Tribal Affairs.

The financial report was read out by the Chief President since the Treasurer Mr. Raphel Kujur was not available which was followed by the traditional dances of the Boro and the Rabha Indigenous Peoples.

As per the agenda overviews of mandates of ICITP was explained by Mr. John Jantu Soren, the National Coordinator of the ICITP, New Delhi, supplemented by Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the Chief President.

Mr. John Jantu Soren explained about the mandates of the ICITP, the rules and regulations and the objectives. He informed about the mode of affiliation process of the MOs and encouraged all the Tribal Peoples in the region to come forward in solidarity to solve their problems under the leaderships of ICITP.

Mr. Jebra R. Muchahary facilitated the discussion on the urgent issues of IPs in the North Eastern region with the MOs present in the Assembly. He appealed the MOs present in the Assembly to share their activity reports. He also said that MOs can share their success and failure stories. Talking on peace, he said that we have fought with each other enough. A lot of conflicts occurred in the region between different ethnic groups, which have rendered thousands dead and homeless. The very objective of solidarity propagated by ICITP among different Indigenous and Tribal peoples in the country suffered a big blow by the frequent inter ethnic conflicts. It is time to concentrate working for peace and conflict resolution. He further said that unfortunately the numbers of militant groups are increasing in the North East region who are engaged themselves confronting. He said that ICITP was founded in 1987 as Indian Council of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples under the leadership of Late Professor A Kiskhu, Professor Ram Dayal Munda, Late Samar Chandra Brahma Chaudhuri and few others. He further said that one can’t do anything alone and called for the need of the groups so that as an organization it can address the issues with adequate focus. If we unite we can pressurize the government and get our legitimate rights and demands fulfilled. On the forest issues he mentioned that ICITP really took a strong step along with other allies, which forced the government of India to promulgate and introduce community based New Forest Act where Dr. Ramdayal Munda, the Chief Advisor of the ICITP became one of the Technical Support Group (TSG) member. The TSG (Technical Support Group) organized several regional consultations and came up with various recommendations for the implementation of the New Forest Act, in which ICITP played a vital role, he disclosed. He further mentioned that some of the issues of the region have been identified as urgent issues to be advocated and appealed the house to cooperate for taking up the issues with the concerned parties effectively. He said, “Rabha People’s demand for 6 th Schedule status, the Boroland issue of the Boro People and the Dimaraji of the Dimasa People and the demand for Schedule Tribes status of six different communities of Assam would be given priority in the priority action plan of the ICITP in the current year. He emphasized the house that ICITP was not some body’s pocket organization or a funding agency but a movement. He said, “It is a movement, which is an organisation of the organizations.” He continued, “ICITP is an Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation (IPO) formed by the peoples, for the peoples and of the peoples, working mainly for our life sustaining resources of land, Forest, Water and culture.” He regretted government’s activity of snatching life sustaining resources of the IPs. Mr. Muchahary recommended the following issues to be given priority in the current year of ICITP’s action plan for 2008-2009.

1. Boro issues;

There was lunch break at 2.30 PM and the session resumed at 3.20 PM. The Chair invited the MO leaders to talk on the critical/ critical issues of IPs in North Eastern region. The following issues were raised by various participants for recommendations:

The ongoing sharing of issues was halted for few minutes due to insertion of Rabha and Boro cultural dances which were performed by the local Rabha and Boro cultural groups followed by 40 minutes Press Conference in the Conference Hall itself.

The state level committee elections were conducted on the traditional way on the basis of consensus and the following official were elected unanimously.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE

MANIPUR STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE

NAGALAND STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE

ASSAM STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE

MIZORAM STATE LEVEL COMMITTEE

The Zonal Body was formed on the basis of consensus as follows:-

 1. President : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, Bodoland Territorial

Council, Assam;

2. Vice President : Dr. Debabrata Roy Laifungbam, Manipur;

3 Vice President : Mr. S.T. Parte, Mizoram;

4. General Secretary : Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, Rabha Hasong Autonomous

Council, Assam;

Assam;

The Assembly was summed up by Dr. R. D. Munda, the Chair of the Assembly. He said that North East Zone has become strong in their shape and should do well as model to other zones. Dr. Munda said, “Most of the emerging issues have been taken up. We together have succeeded on the national and international level issues. The government of India and other friendly countries in Asia have been claiming that all are indigenous peoples and they have been denying our status as distinct group of peoples. But it is a good thing for us that they ratified UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Rights. With regard to forests rights, we have definitely done some changes in the mindset of the governments. But the joint forest management system is not very good for us as people do not have rights over forests in reality in that arrangement. Unless the community forest management is practiced they won’t be allowed. The government needs to know that we are the real preservers of the forest”. He also mentioned that in democracy everything is to be shared or clarified like the representative from Bhutan Mr. Thinley shared that they are starving for democracy for last two decades.

In his short summary he also shared that an ordinary farmer in USA could say that they need their own country. Some of the Hmong people asked ICITP to mediate to arrange for allotment of land in golden triangle in Thailand, who assured us to offer of office premises to be shared in the UN Plaza with them. Dr. Munda informed the house that this is the impression of many people on ICITP as we have been doing many things in different levels. He also expressed hope that the ICITP can be extend to Tribal Federation in Asia if we keep on working continuously. “We can establish relationship culturally to all community throughout the world and we can reach to them heart to heart, mind to mind. We can fight the local issues continuously but more than that we can lead the whole Asia. We have intellectuals like Debashish Roy (Bangladesh), Jasonpan (Taiwan), Jarjum Ete (India) etc. they are really great people, much greater than our Chief Ministers or any ministers”, he added.

He further expressed his happiness for Naga young group joining the North East Zonal body. Then he thanked all the new faces that came up during Adivasi way of election and wished them good luck for the future work in solidarity for the up-liftment of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in India.

Finally the vote of thanks was extended by Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, the General Secretary of the ICITP-NEZ.

Resolutions adopted during the 6 th General Assembly:

The following resolutions were adopted unanimously in the house:

International

National

List of Participants

February 16, 2008 : ICITP-NEZ along with Mr. Santanu Deka an official representative from IIE, Guwahati visited the project site of proposed project on Citronella Plantation and Distillation in Santipur, BTC.

February 25-26, 2008 : Mr. Sabda Ram Rabha, the General Secretary of ICITP-NEZ participated the UNPFII Preparatory meeting held in Kath Mandu, Nepal.

February 26, 2008 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, the Chief President of ICITP escorted Dr. Ram Dayal Munda to receive his Sangeet Natak Academy Award, from the President of India Smt. Pratibha Sing Devi Patil, in a glittering function at the Bigyan Bawan, New Delhi.

March 18-19, 2008 : Mr. Jebra Ram Muchahary, Mr. Graham D Lakhiang and Ms. Pompi Basumatary from ICITP-NEZ participated in the North East India Workshop on Biodiversity and IPRs, a campaign for community control and Biodiversity Conservation co-organised by Aaranyak, Ecosystems India, Kalpavriks and GRAIN held at the Staff Administrative College, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam.

March 22, 2008 : ICITP nominated Dr. Ram Dayal Munda to the Human Rights Council Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in collaboration with Federation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Asia (FITPA) and carried out lobby for support to his candidature.