Orissa tribals fight for rights at UK listed Co

New Delhi, Aug 5: This year, the annual general meeting of mining giant Vedanta Resources in London had unusual participants two tribals from faraway Niyamgiri hills of Orissa, who had travelled all the way to protest against the company's project coming up in their region.

The duo Kumuti Majhi and Phulme Majhi, members of the Kuntia Kondh indigenous tribe, had attended the AGM on August one, to voice their community's protest against the UK registered company's proposed aluminium mining and processing plants in the Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa.

''We will not lose our homes without a fight. Vedanta needs to know that they cannot walk all over people like this. Niyamgiri is under threat and with it our land, livelihood and way of life. It is a matter of life and death for us,'' said Phulme Majhi, a 25-year-old former sarpanch from Jaganathpur village, who had managed to go to the AGM as a shareholder's proxy, with the help of ActionAid, an international not-for-profit agency.

The tribal leaders also informed the meeting about the ''intimidation, violence and harassment'' that the local people face at the hands of the company officials.

They also said people from two villages--Kinari and Borbhata--have already been displaced and moved to rehabilitation centres that are unsuitable. They are unable to grow the food they need to survive, they stressed.

Later talking about their experiences here at a press conference, they said the response of other shareholders was very positive.

''They were very concerned about their problems and questioned the company's motives,'' said Kumiti Majhi.

The company's Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal assured them that any intimidation or harassment would be urgently looked into. He also said that they would investigate conditions at the rehabilitation centres.

However, Sidhartha Naik, lawyer-activist who helds the Sachetan Nagrik Forum, which is fighting for the cause of tribals in Kalahandi, pointed out that the very basis of Vedanta's presence in Lanjhigarh where the project is coming up, is ''illegal''.

''Vedanta has come to Niyamgiri, without any mining lease or environmental clearance. Transfer of tribal land to non-tribal hands has to go through the Gram Panchayat. No gram panchayat meeting was held and innocent tribals were cheated into signing on blank paper.

When we protested, false cases were slapped against us and we were put to arrest,'' he said, also speaking on the occasion.

He said the Forum plans to hold a demonstration before the Parliament when the monsoon session begins.

Already, three petitions against the company's operations are in the Supreme Court and a ruling on whether Vedanta can continue with its mining operation in Orissa, is expected on August 9. The petitions have pointed out illegal diversion of forest land and construction of roads in a wildlife sanctuary for bauxite mining and questions over the initial permission for setting up the refinery violating the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980.

Mr Naik alleged that when the locals refused to give up their land, they were lured into attending a feast and made to sign on blank papers. ''They were fooled into giving up their rights on the community land that they had been tilling since generations,'' he said.

He also said the company was also violating its MoU with Chhattisgarh by carrying the bauxite mined in Daldali mines to the Lanjhigarh project. The company has also ''illegally''built a red mud pond in Narayanpur and an Ash pond near Chatrapur, that were not part of the project.

Ms Bratindi Jena, who heads ActionAid's Tribal Rights division, said the company's offer of jobs does not go down well with the tribals as they are happy the way they are. ''It is like, take out an earthworm and clean and pamper it and then keep it in a golden bowl, but it will yearn to go underground,'' she pointed out.

She also said the area is home to an extraordinary range of wild, and largely endangered, species and protected under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act. The various segments of the Kond tribe who live in about 200 villages worship the mountain as God.

She said the jobs being offered by Vedanta would not compensate for the loss of thousands of livelihoods. ''Their culture will be lost through the displacement of local tribes,'' she said.

They have skills not required by Vedanta while they are well-equipped to run its machines, she stressed.

She also pointed out that the Central Environmental Committee of the Supreme Court, has also opposed the manner in which the project has been sanctioned.

UNI