Like other Indigenous peoples, the indigenous people in North East India experience racial and cultural discrimination. They are denied rights to land, livelihoods and to organize and represent themselves. The local communities are experiencing tensions and social unrest in connection with oil and gas exploration plan and other natural extraction in their traditional territories. The entry of extractives industries has serious impact on the basic rights, threatening their natural resources and their livelihoods.
North East region is rich in natural resources in the form of fresh water supply, sub -tropical climate which is ideal for agriculture for both low land and upland farming and its bio-diversity include India’s last remaining rainfall. The local community manages the natural resources based on traditional knowledge and their customary laws and practices. In spite of its richness in natural resources, long armed struggle resulting to armed conflict, ethnic conflict, heavy militarization and serious violation of human rights are the daily reality of people in the region. The underlying causes could be historical and political dissatisfaction and youth unrest. Today, extractive industries have started a series of project work in the name of development by constructing of dams, coal mine and railway lines. There are large reserves of crude oil and today exploration is taking place. The political situation and the extraction natural resources are posing threat to the local community’s land and their resources.
CENRs is assisting local community in the form of information gathering, documentation of bio-diversity, campaigning for protection of indigenous land, awareness raising and capacity building on issues relating to basic human rights, land and forest rights in the context of extractives industries. In Manipur alone CENRs has reached out to local communities across 400 sq miles passing through a narrow path where roads are non-exist. Backwardness of the region makes the people thirst for all sorts of development in the hope of having better road and electricity. The responsibility of home making and abject poverty in a militarized and conflict environment has heightened the vulnerability of the affected communities. CENRs have provided skill development training for alternative livelihood and set up resource centers for easy accessibility of knowledge and information.