Despite the intense police repression, the people of Kashipur have stood up against the Odisha Government coercively facilitating this project for Vedanta. We bring to you the developments of the last 24 hours from the night before the Public Hearing to the end of it. It was held today at Sunger High School premises in Kashipur Block of Rayagada district, Odisha.
Ø On the 15th night, armed police and paramilitary personnel began positioning themselves at the main roads leading to villages known to oppose the mining project. Roads were monitored by company-sponsored goons and a few local village youths. They seemed to have a list of names of media persons and political agents whom they should allow into the villages and used slang and rough language to intimidate and send back anyone outside the ‘list’. Even then, some youths seemingly with the company goons, helped activists and media persons enter the area.
Ø In the morning, women from Banteji village were beaten up by police on the way to the public hearing. They protested. Friends and supporters of the movement tweeted to the Chief Minister to stop the violence.
Ø People walked in with slogans, banners and placards. Strategically, they occupied the space in front of the podium and did not allow a single pro-company deposition to happen. More than 20 community members, including women, spoke loud and clear about their opposition to the proposed bauxite mining and cited reasons for this opposition.
Ø Addressing members of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), district administration, police administration and Vedanta officials, people raised their voices against the ongoing police repression and the criminal role played by company-sponsored goons and agents. They narrated incidents of abuse, beating, forced entry into their houses, theft of cash, and harassment of women and girls both in their houses and in public at the local markets. They asserted that the repression was being carried out by company-sponsored goons at the forefront with the tacit support of the local police and paramilitary personnel. Leaders and community members demanded answers from the government about this state-corporate-police nexus but those organising the public hearing had no answers!
Ø As ordered by the High Court, two activists – Dibakar Sahu and Jitender Majhi -were escorted by police from the Raygada jail. They deposed at the public hearing against the proposed project.
Ø About the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted by Vedanta, the chief concern expressed was that the report has deliberately hidden several facts about the ecological diversity and ecosystem of Sijimali. Villagers pointed out that Vedanta’s report does not mention the sacred abode of the supreme deity of the Kandha and Damba communities, Tiji Raja, and the annual rituals and festivals the local people perform at Sijimali hilltop in December every year. They also pointed out that the report has no mention of the 200-odd perennial streams that emerge from Sijimali or the dense forests on the hilltop that have diverse tree species like sal, tamarind, piya sal, aamla, harida, bahada and that the collection of siali leaves and honey is the major source of local peoples’ NTFP income. They pointed out that there is no mention of several sacred caves on Sijimali which are worshipped as abodes of animals whom the local people worship and hold rituals inside the caves to invoke the animal spirits every year. Some of the most important caves are Parapar and Baghpar. All those who deposed clearly mentioned that the EIA report does not mention about the local peoples’ cultural heritage and generations-old relationship with nature and the traditional community forest governance principles that they all practice to conserve the forests, lands, and mountains in Sijimali. The statements were loud and clear about the unconditional ban on mining at Sijimali and that Vedanta should go back.
Ø Keeping in line with the proactive media misinformation that has been happening since early August, some local media TV channels and reporters began to spread misinformation about the procedures and testimonies at the public hearing. They reported that the public hearing was cancelled due to law-and-order problems. Many even tried to create a narrative that several villagers demanded that Vedanta must open a local refinery if it wants to start bauxite mining in Sijimali.
Ø The ADM, Rayagada and ASP, Rayagada addressed the media that the public hearing was completed peacefully and with discipline; the ADM added that the process was successfully carried out and the report on the proceedings of the public hearing will be submitted to OSPCB soon. This has become the modus operandi. Stating that it ended peacefully despite the vibrant protest is but a claim that their ritual is over.
Ø However, today’s protest seems to have already set the tone for the next hearing. The Sijimali Bauxite Mining Project spreads over both Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi District and Kashipur block in Rayagada District. The public hearing for Thuamul Rampur block is scheduled at Kerpai High School premises on October 18th
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Contact Email ID: sijimalimatters@gmail.com
“The rule of law does not do away with the unequal distribution of wealth and power, but reinforces that inequality with the authority of law. It allocates wealth and poverty in such complicated and indirect ways as to leave the victims bewildered.” – Howard Zinn
Since the first week of August, in Raygada, Kalahandi and Koraput districts, there has been continuous state repression on people belonging to the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, who have been protesting against Bauxite mining in the areas to protect their lives and livelihood, and on those individuals who have been extending support and solidarity to the protesting people. This not only goes against constitutional values but is also a mockery of the rule of law. As students of democracy and the constitution it is a matter of great concern for us.
Nine persons of the Niyamgiri Surakhsya Samiti, including its leaders, activists and supporters, have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) with some of its stringent provisions. One of them has been abducted by the police, kept in illegal detention, physically tortured and then shown arrested and sent to the jail. Similarly, in midnight raids of villages in Sijimali, Kutrumali and Manjingmali areas in Thuamul-Rampur and Kashipur blocks, 23 people have been arrested. In a similar operation one person from the Kodingamali area has been arrested. We strongly believe that protection of one’s livelihoods to live a life of dignity and to protest against any infringement on this is a fundamental right of citizens. Attempts have been made to manufacture consent of innocent people, who are opposed to the mining based development policies of the government, by means of fraud, trickery and allurement. And those who dissent, the police are using force to get their consent, which is criminalization of dissent.
What is of further concern is the way veteran environmentalist Sri Prafulla Samantara, was abducted with his hands tied and face covered, from a hotel in Rayagada and later dropped at his home in Brahmapur. Sri Samantara had gone there to extend legal assistance to the arrested people, and was to address a press meet to expose the role of the government, the police and the companies. We believe that the police are involved in this incident. In our view, using the police force like goons is a sign of a democratic state gradually turning into a police state.
We also feel that local people in their efforts to protect the hills and mountains, rivers and streams are not only protecting their lives and livelihoods, but also protecting the nature and the commons for our future generations. At a time when the world is in the midst of a crisis due to climate change and efforts are being made at various levels to protect and conserve the natural environment and ecology, we feel that it is our fundamental constitutional duty to support their efforts.
Therefore, we demand that,
- Police repression should stop immediately.
- Formulate a development policy in consultation with the people, ensuring their dignity and which is in tune with their lives and culture, rather than pursuing development based on repression.
- Let us not destroy the local environment and ecology in the name of development.
Signed by,
- Hrudananda Routray, Advocate
- Dhaneswar Mohanty, Adv.
- Umakanta Pattnaik, Adv.
- Dhanurdhar Sundaray, Adv.
- Binod Ku. Sahu, Adv.
- Pradeep Kumar Das Mohapatra, Adv.
- Sukeshi Maharana, Adv.
- Mruganka Mauli Pattnaik, Adv
- Bibhuti Bhushan Pattnaik, Adv.
- Sudhir Das, Adv.
- Akhyaya Ku. Nanda, Adv.
- Sirshendu Prasad Rout, Adv.
- Sukanta Ku. Behera, Adv.
- Bandita Rath, Adv
- Madhu Madhab Jena, Adv.
- Golak Prasad Naik, Adv.
- Dukhishyam Das, Adv.
- Bhaskar Ch. Maharana, Adv.
- Bijay Ku. Panda, Adv.
- Subhasish Panda, Adv
- Biswapriya Kanungo, Adv
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