Save the Chakmas: Refugees in their own homeland?

To,
The Honourable President, India.
The Honourable Prime Minister,India.
The Honourble Home Minister, India.
Honourable Chief Minister, State of Mizoram, India.
National Human Rights Commission, India.


Around 35,438 persons, mostly belonging to the peace-loving Chakma tribe are on the verge of being internally displaced from their own lands in the South and Western part Mizoram, India. This petition comes from concerned people who feel that steps should be taken so that such a measure of national security should not come at the expense of this peceloving community.
As part of government of Indias policy to erect fencing along the countrys borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh in order to stop flow of terrorism and illegal immigrants from across the borders, construction of fencing along the 318 km-long Indo-Bangladesh border in Misogamy Sector is underway.
According to the Indo-Bangladesh Border Fencing Affected Families Resettlement Demand Committee (IBBFARDCOM) a total of 5790 families comprising of 35,438 persons from 49 villages are affected by the fencing. These villages are located on the river banks of Thega, Karnaphuli, Harina and Sajeik which form the natural boundaries between India and Bangladesh.
Because of the fencing, which is being placed one hundred yards inside India, these villages are now outside the perimeter of the Indian border and in effect, living in no mans land.. The Indo-Bangladesh border on the western and south western belt of Misogamy is predominantly inhabited by the peace-loving Chakma tribe.
These rivers are the lifeline of the Chakmas living in the area, and they just cannot leave these places as it would mean leaving already developed wet rice cultivation fields, horticulture gardens and means of marketing their agriculture produce.
Apart from these losses, resettling these displaced families would mean the loss of not only individual properties, but community properties such as places of worship, schools buildings, community halls, health sub-centres, water ponds, water supply, market places, playgrounds and government office buildings as well. Thus, the border fencing will destory their livelihood and their way of life and make them refugees in their own homeland.
The contractors for the border fencing namely , Engineering Projects India Ltd., National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd., Border Roads Organisation and National Building Construction Corporation have been blatantly violating guidelines given by the Government of India wherein it was stated that the contractors would be responsible for liaising with the state government/local autorities for acquisition of lands. However, the contractors had not bothered to acquire lands as per the land acquisition law and willfully violated the guidelines.
Those affected are about to be displaced without any rehabilitation and compensation. Despite the adverse consequences, the Chakmas are not against the border fencing provided such fencing programme are done in conformity with the guidelines and rules and regulations/ laws of the land.
Therefore, we do hereby express our deep concern on the issue and request your honour to consider the following suggestions for necessary action:
(a) Immediately stop construction of Indo-Bangla border fencing, Mizoram Sector until acquisition of lands is finalised as per the existing land acquisition laws
(b) provision towards adequate compensation be made before the issue became too complicated and that a full and complete resettlement plan for all displaced families be drawn up.
(c) financial assistance be provided to these affected families during the transition period for sustenance for at least one year as well as upgrading the Indo-Bangladesh Border Road.

Thanking You,