THIS IS a message in short:it is urgent how the state is shamelessly declaring war against the tribals as well as the activists who are supporiting them. it is using a term 'anti-project' to define those who question their validity. Dear FriendsHere's a summary of the present very tense situationin Orissa. The aluminium/mining issue is the main itemon the Orissa news just now. The Orissa Assembly wasin uproar yesterday, with part of the Congress partyattacking Naveen Patnaik and his BJD party, overirregularities and corruption in his mining deals. Theissue's to be discussed in the Assembly againtomorrow. Naveen (who speasks little Oriya, and speakswith a strong upper class English accent) said(focused on the old Orissa Congress leader JBPatnaik -but it could apply to the tribal people themselves!)"No-one, I repeat NO-ONE, will be allowed to stand inthe way of Orissa's industrialization and the people'sprogress". This was all on Oriya TV news yesterday.The two alumina projects (Vedanta/Sterlite/Balco atLanjigarh to mine Niyamgiri Mountain, and the Utkalproject of Alcan with Indal-Hindalco (Birla) atKashipur) are being pushed ahead forcefully, withstrong police repression, gathering momentum in thelast 3 weeks. So is a chromite mine at Tangarpadar inDhenkanal (N.Orissa), despite an Orissa High Courtjudgement that's just declared this deal illegal, andis likely to make a similar judgement about Vedanta.The issue is now going to the Supreme Ct in Delhi.Meanwhile at Lanjigarh the refinery is being built atgt speed... there have evidently been some deaths onthe site in suspicious circumstances, and the villagesnearby are living under great pressure, but resisting:Belambar, Turiguda etc. These are Majhi Konds, livingin the plains area just north of Niyamgiri. In theNiyamgiris themselves the Dongria (Hill) Konds are in
\nfights and attacks - very hard to get accurate news\\nfrom there, but they feel their whole culture is under\\nattack - as it is. I went there yesterday and hope to\\ngo again tomorrow (to Solpojhola in the north\\nNiyamgiris). The forest here is fantastic - among the\\nbest stands in Orissa, and the DFO (Div. Forest\\nOfficer) in Rayagada has refused forest clearance for\\nthe project, on the grounds that the Reserved Forest\\nat the top of the ridge (4,000 ft) is of prime\\nimportance etc. \\n\\nIt has emerged that this project is now being financed\\n95% from London via ABNAmro, Barclays Capital &\\nDeutsche Bank...\\n\\nIn Kashipur, where the Utkal project\'s been stalled 12\\nyrs, the police oppression and attacks on Ramibera and\\nother tribal "resistance villages" is very bad.\\nThey\'re building a whole concrete police post 2 kms\\nfrom Kucheipadar, where several of our friends have\\nbeen arrested (apparently lured to Rayagada). This is\\napparently being done under the Collector of\\nKalahandi, Yashwant Mishra, a former Balco employee,as\\nwell as local Congress and BJD political leaders.\\n\\nThe PSSP (Natural Resources Defence Council, centred\\nat Kucheipadar) is holding a rally on 7th Dec, in prep\\nfor that on 16th, which commem.s the 4th anniv of the\\npolice firing at Maikanch 4 yrs ago which killed 3\\ntribal people. It will be hard to enter Kashipur, but\\nI\'m trying to ensure there will be several foreign\\nobservers there, and anyone who can - please come!\\n\\nThere\'s an urgent need to get this news out, since\\nVedanta\'s had hardly any adverse news in the UK\\ndespite its massively polluting irregularities at the\\nTuticorn copper smelter in S.India, as well as here in\\nOrissa. The FT shd report this properly, and the BBC &\\nother news teams shd come to cover the issue, esp at\\nKashipur for the 16th rally. The movement against\\nthese projects is one of the main movements supported\",1]
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a state of gt disturbance, and there have been severalfights and attacks - very hard to get accurate newsfrom there, but they feel their whole culture is underattack - as it is. I went there yesterday and hope togo again tomorrow (to Solpojhola in the northNiyamgiris). The forest here is fantastic - among thebest stands in Orissa, and the DFO (Div. ForestOfficer) in Rayagada has refused forest clearance forthe project, on the grounds that the Reserved Forestat the top of the ridge (4,000 ft) is of primeimportance etc. It has emerged that this project is now being financed95% from London via ABNAmro, Barclays Capital &Deutsche Bank...In Kashipur, where the Utkal project's been stalled 12yrs, the police oppression and attacks on Ramibera andother tribal "resistance villages" is very bad.They're building a whole concrete police post 2 kmsfrom Kucheipadar, where several of our friends havebeen arrested (apparently lured to Rayagada). This isapparently being done under the Collector ofKalahandi, Yashwant Mishra, a former Balco employee,aswell as local Congress and BJD political leaders.The PSSP (Natural Resources Defence Council, centredat Kucheipadar) is holding a rally on 7th Dec, in prepfor that on 16th, which commem.s the 4th anniv of thepolice firing at Maikanch 4 yrs ago which killed 3tribal people. It will be hard to enter Kashipur, butI'm trying to ensure there will be several foreignobservers there, and anyone who can - please come!There's an urgent need to get this news out, sinceVedanta's had hardly any adverse news in the UKdespite its massively polluting irregularities at theTuticorn copper smelter in S.India, as well as here inOrissa. The FT shd report this properly, and the BBC &other news teams shd come to cover the issue, esp atKashipur for the 16th rally. The movement againstthese projects is one of the main movements supported by Arundhati Roy and all those who are mindful of tribal people and their issues in India.I have toremain very low key myself, as a foreigner, and thepolice have warned me that my visa may be cancelled ifI visit Kashipur or Lanjigarh now.So please spread this news and take what action youcan!All Best Wishes, Felix