Bauxite mining in Odisha: Activists warn "massive retaliation" if state government refuses to step back

By A Representative
The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), apex body of tens of mass organizations of India, has strongly protested against the Odisha Govermnent’s reported attempt to conduct Gram Sabhas in the Niyamgiri area to allow the MNC Vedanta to begin mining of bauxite for its Rs 50,000 crore aluminia refinery project, calling the move as "illegal and contempt of the Supreme Court order".
NAPM's Prafulla Samantara, a petitioner in the case against Vedanta in the Supreme Court, suspected the government was doing it to raise "funds for the party for the elections", adding, "The state is planning to reconvene Gram Sabhas in Niyamgiri in all the 12 villages which had voted against the proposed mining in Niyamgiri between July 18 and August 19, 2013, held under direction from Supreme Court."
The senior activist, talking with newspersons in Bhubaneswar, said, it was "expected" of the government to hold them accountable for violations of established laws and acts of the land, and that it should have "realized its mistakes" by not allowing any further damage or harm to the already deteriorating trust between the vulnerable Dongaria community and the state."
In between, Samantara said, the Government of India even appeared to have started, in cooperation with the district administration, to bring certain state run schemes to the area. But now "real intention of the administration has been exposed after the fresh", he added.
Samantara alleged, "The state had abandoned Niyamgiri and the Dongaraias for 67 years and remembered only for bauxite mining after arrival of Vedanta in 2002. The administration was upset with Gram Sabha verdicts in 2013 and boycotted the hills for the last two years, and now has started figuring again proactively in the area."
Another activist Bhalachandra Sarangi warned the state government "not to resort to backdoor and corrupt anti-people practices”, saying, the Supreme Court-appointed committee, which submitted its report, on September 21, 2005, had clearly said that “the use of the forest land in an ecologically sensitive area like the Niyamgiri Hills should not be permitted."
The committee "recommended that this court may consider revoking the environmental clearance dated September 22, 2004 granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for setting up of the Alumina Refinery Plant by Vedanta and directing them to stop further work on the project, said Sarangi.
He quoted the committee as saying, "The casual approach, the lackadaisical manner and the haste with which the entire issue of forests and environmental clearance for the alumina refinery project has been dealt with smacks of undue favour/leniency and does not inspire confidence with regard to the willingness and resolve of both the State Government and the MoEF to deal with such matters keeping in view the ultimate goal of national and public interest.”
The activist said, it would be "unfair" of the government to say that people were losing jobs and that’s why it was essential to hand over the bauxite source for the refinery and Niyamgiri hills. "Rather government should penalize Vedanta for the violations and use the money for mitigating the environmental damage caused to the region", he added, warning the government, it will "face massive resistance once again" if it does not pull back.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.

Search This Blog