Oris-saga

The Statesman, 10 December

Patkar faces stiff opposition at Posco site
JAGATSINGHPUR, Dec. 11: Medha Patkar’s visit to the trouble torn Posco affected areas here went on expected lines with the pro-project activists confronting her with placards of 'go back' and the equally determined social activist making her way into the villages saying she will not bow to the designs of the state and ‘hired goons’.

In fact pro-project activists relented to allow Medha Patkar into the village only after the local police intervened at Badagabpur. There were heated exchanges but no violence.

The pro-Posco activists had however issued a ‘fatwa’( dictate) of sorts to villagers of Nuagaon warning that those who speak to Medha Patkar will be penalized with a fine of Rs 1000.

Though she moved from door to door at Nuagaon, panicked villagers did not come forward to speak to her. Some of them even shut their doors as she approached them. The sequence of such events started right at Badagabpur village while the team of social activists, sarvodaya leaders were proceeding towards Nuagaon.

Some people obstructed the activists and raised a protest with placards reading 'Medha go back, we want Posco'. Medha Patkar and her team tried to reason it out with them saying they were keen on peaceful and negotiated settlement to all issues but protestors did not relent till the police stepped in. A heated argument took place between the pro-Posco activists and members of Nav Nirman Samiti, Rastriya Yuva Sangathan who were accompanying Medha Patkar.

Later as the visiting team entered Nuagaon, some of the pro-Posco activists sat on dharna at the Ramchandi temple with a banner they said: “We will solve our problem and outsiders are not allowed to interfere in it”.

Villagers, on their part, were scared of talking to Medha Patkar due to the threat of fine and the repression that was likely to follow. RYS convener Mr Biswjeet Ray informed that one person who committed to provide accommodation for Medha to stay overnight at the village suddenly refused due to threat by hired goons. All these goons have been hired from neighbouring Paradip and Kujang areas, he pointed out before alleging that they were working in tandem with the local police and a senior bureaucrat.

Earlier, on arrival here, Medha Patkar led a rally from Gandhi chowk with all activists of NNS and RYS and held a meeting near the collectorate where NNS and RYS activists were on hunger strike since last week.

Addressing the gathering, she criticised chief minister Naveen Patnaik for selling minerals and water to industries at the cost of the farming community. She alleged that the state government was using hired goons as a cover to help repress democratic movements against the Posco project. The goons are a shield behind which the government is trying to push the project against the will of the people, she charged.

Innocent villagers are being subjected to terror and torture, she alleged referring to the violence on 29 November and the assault on satyagrahis as well as the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi.Such ‘Sultanraj’ here cannot continue for long, earlier kings used to resort to deploying soldiers and armed troops to crush rebellion, she observed.

Only a coward fears and acts in such a manner, she chided while noting how social workers were being viewed as ‘terrorists’.

How did the government approve 1,135 acres of land for the plant without consulting the villagers or holding a gram sabha, she questioned.

She vowed to fight against Posco steel project with the cooperation of villagers. No threat or pressure can suppress the voice of common people.

Others including founder of RYS Mr Kumar Prashant exhorted people to unite against the anti-people and anti-state policies of the government. State repression will not be tolerated, he said.

In another incident here pro-project activists of Trilochanpur protested and humiliated another team of professors of Delhi University who were on their way to Dhinkia village with relief materials.

A team of Delhi University led by Professor Mr S Bhattacharya KR Chaudhury, R.K.Das , leader of All India Youth Association Mr Prasant Rout and RK Sarangi from Intellectual Forum were prevented and humiliated.

Harassed at such protests the team returned without being able to reach Dhinkia.

Protest by varsity students

SAMBALPUR, Dec. 11: The students of Sambalpur University (SU) at Burla, 15 km from here, gheraoed the administrative building and paralysed its activities yesterday, demanding action against outsiders and the general secretary of the students’ union, who, they alleged were attacking the inmates of hostel often.

At the same time, outsiders in large numbers, are entering the campus and loitering near the ladies hostel to pass comments on the girls.

Though there is a police outpost nearby, these hooligans are not afraid of their misdeeds. The students further alleged that they have lodged complaints with the police earlier regarding the attacks on students by outsiders and also mentioned their names. But the police is yet to arrest the evildoers.

“If the accused persons are not arrested within 24 hours, we would start a hunger strike to bring in an atmosphere of peace in the campus,” one of the students said.

Neither the varsity authorities nor the general secretary, against whom the students have complained, were available for comments.

A platoon of police force has been deployed inside the campus to meet eventualities, the DIB sources said. Senior officers are keeping a watch on the situation.

Stir for jobs from Visa Steel

JAJPUR, Dec. 11: Hundreds of members of Vyas Unemployed Youth Organisation (VUYO), a forum formed for the interest of the local unemployed technical youths, staged an agitation in front of Visa Steel officers’ guesthouse today. It is located in Vyas Nagar, the gateway to the steel hub of India in Orissa’s Jajpur district.

The youths demanding jobs. The agitators, led by its president, Mr Bidyadhar Mohanty, locked up the guesthouse and prevented the exit and entry of Visa officials. Tension prevailed when security personnel of the steel company forcefully tried to drive the agitators out, and the latter in turn attacked them. After being informed, police reached at the spot and chased away the agitators.

Altogether 25 agitators were arrested and later released on bail. They were protesting against the engagement of non-Oriya people in the plant, located in the Kalinga Nagar by the Visa management.

The unemployed youths claimed that the steel plant has been utilising their area’s land and water and polluting the nearby villages around it. Hence the steel company should give priority to local candidates during appointments.

“After the Kalinga Nagar police firing in which at least 14 people were killed in police firing, while they were opposing land acquisition by Tata Steel plant on 2 January 2006, we were assured of being absorbed in the plants by the then Jajpur collector, Mr Arabinda Padhee.

Accordingly a directive was issued to the all the steel plants to engage local people first. But the Visa management is engaging non-oriya people,” said Mr Pradeep Samal, secretary of the VUYO.

“As per as advertisement, 39 technical youths had gone through the interview, both written and viva, on 13 May, 2006. We are educated and possess technical, engineering, and industrial training certificates, as advertised by the company about two years ago. But the authorities are yet to declare the result,” said Kailash Das, an engineering graduate.

He alleged that while aspirants are waiting for results, the company authorities, in the meantime, have appointed some non-Oriyas and outsiders. “During a bilateral agreement, it was decided that the steel company will engage local people in its plant on priority basis. But none is caring for the agreement and appointing the people as per as their wish,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, two FIRs have been lodged with the Jajpur Road police from both the groups. While the security officer of Visa Steel Mr AK Pati alleged that the agitators held them in confinement, Kailas Das, a member of the association alleged the company authorities threatened them of dire consequences for the agitation.

When contacted, AK Agarwal, vice-president (commerce) of Visa Steel however denied to comment on this matter.

Landmine blast injures three jawans

MALKANGIRI, Dec. 11: One Special Operation Group (SOG) constable KC Biswal was severely injured and two others Hrushikesh Patra and PK Sabat received minor injury while defusing a claymore mine near MPV 31 village under Kalimela police limits during the early hours today.

All the three injured jawans were immediately taken to the district head quarter hospital at Malkangiri.

Later they were air-lifted to Vishakapatnam hospital by two navy choppers in the afternoon. The condition of Biswal is stated to be critical.

Earlier on 7 December, Naxals had dug up State Highway-25 about three-feet deep during their continuing PLGA week from 2 to 8 December.

Combing operation by police had been intensified in this region and they had traced a claymore mine during the operation.

Sources said while defusing the claymore mine, another pressure mine, which was kept near it, blasted first and by the sound of the first blast, the clayore mine blasted in the hand of the Jawan KC Biswal.

13 December

Locals demand security step-up

JAGATSINGHPUR, Dec. 12: Panic stricken and anguished villagers of Dhinkia and Gobindpur narrated their sordid tales to social activist and environmentalist Medha Patkar on the second day of her two-day visit to the proposed Posco area. They also urged upon her to provide them security and liberty to live peacefully in their villages.

Despite yesterday’s agitation to prevent her entry into the project area, Ms Patkar visited Dhinkia, Gobindpur and other villages and interacted with the panic-stricken villagers.

Patkar opined that the villagers have lost their freedom and sovereignty due to threat of anti-socials and attack of Posco supporters. She expressed solidarity with those who over the last two years had led a non-violent peoples movement against the project.

She alleged that many villagers of Dhinikia have not yet received
BPL cards, rice under Antodaya and Anapurna schemes. “Several people including women told me that they had been warned against talking to her and that they would face a heavy fine if they met me,” she said.

The virtually ‘terrified’ villagers even requested her not to reveal their names lest the anti-Posco activist would impose fine of Rs 1,000 on them as per their fatwa.

The matter went to such an extent that Abhay Mallick, who had served meal to Patkar during her last visit to Nuagaon was found avoiding her. His wife met Medha with tearful eyes to apologise.

Women of Dhinkia narrated their plight and the scarcity of essential commodities ever since the police deployment had been made on 29 November.They dare not venture out of the village even to harvest their crops fearing arrest by police and attack by hired goons, noted Ms Patkar.

One Phularani Jena of Gobindpur village described how her son was unable to return home fearing repraisal by pro-Posco goons. Others wanted Ms Patkar to provide security to them.

Sixty-year-old Raghu Swain told her how he was being forced to part with his land and betel vines to the company. Earlier , Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti organized a meeting at Dhinikia village where Ms Medha, Jay Prakash Andolan movement leader Mr Rakesh Raffique , PPSS leader Mr Abhaya Shaoo , social activists from Mainpur Tikendra Bhai and Engineer Meher , Rastriya Yuba Sangthan founder Kumar Prashant, and others addressed the gathering and urged upon them to continue with their struggle.

Health camps a success

ROURKELA, Dec. 12: Four health camps organised by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) at Belpara, Sindhekela, Bharsuja and Tusra of Bolangir district witnessed overwhelming participation by the people. The camps were held from 7 to 10 December.

The mobile team of RSP, comprising specialist doctors of IGH, visited these areas and provided medicines to the needy. The villagers were diagnosed and advised on health related issues. Free medicines were also distributed to the patients. More than 1,500 persons in Belpara, 2,000 in Sindhekela, 2,400 in Bharsuja and 2,300 in Tusra were treated and given free medicines. The district administration, the local health officials, the district Red Cross, NGOs and leaders provided local logistics. Mr RS Gopalan, collector Bolangir inaugurated the camp on 7 December and was present on all the four days. The effort was highly appreciated by the locals.

RSP would organise similar camps at Narkundi, Adri, Ghutrukhal and Mohulpatna in Kalahandi district from 13 to 16 December. Earlier, in the 1970s, RSP had organised relief camps in Kalahandi when severe drought hit the district.

Maoists surrender

SAMBALPUR, Dec. 12: Two young girls who had joined the Maoist cadres surrendered along with their arms here yesterday night. They had joined Maoist cadres in 2005 and were promised a lot. “But we found a totally different atmosphere in the camps,” said both the girls while talking to reporters after laying down their arms. “The only job of top cadre Maoists is to extort the rich and kill innocent people who dare to protest their illegal activities,” they added.

The girls who surrendered before police yesterday night were Miss Scholestica Minz alias Sujata (24) daughter of Lucas Minz of village Mendhiakani and Miss Rashmita Nayak alias Kabita of Jadagola village. Both the girls belong to Deogarh district, the SP of Sambalpur Mr Sanjaya Kumar said.

The girls had expressed their willingness to surrender through the OIC of Sadar police station Mr Manas Garnaik.

Accordingly arrangements were made to enable them to surrender smoothly, informed the SP. “The girls would be properly rehabilitated with adequate safety for then,” said the collector of Sambalpur, Mr LN Nayak who was also present in the said press conference.

It is worth mentioning that few days back another cadre girl Miss Dipti Nayak also surrendered before the police.

Change in mines Act demanded

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 12: Newly-floated political party Samruddha Orissa today urged upon chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik to demand the amendment of Section 9 of the contentious Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act 1957 in the impending meeting with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on 19 December. The state government should demand at least 50 per cent of profit from mineral as cess and total control over minerals excluding strategic minerals, it observed. If the demanded 50 per cent cess will be accorded to the state, Orissa will get a whooping of Rs 12,250 crore per annum.

Addressing a press conference here today, Samruddha Orissa president Dr Jatish Chandra Mohanty said that the total profit from the mines and minerals extracted from the state was approximately Rs 24, 500 crore during 2006-07. The production of iron ore, chromite, coal, bauxite and manganese were 62 MT, 3.7 MT, 81 MT, 4.6 MT and 0.7 MT respectively. But the state got a meager sum of Rs 900 crore as royalty, thanks to faulty mines policy and apathy of the state government, he said. While 46 per cent people are living below the poverty line, the big sum as demanded would do wonders in eradicating poverty by creating employment for at least 50 lakh youth of the state, he added.

Describing the present mines policy as a ‘grave injustice’ for the state, veteran leader and former parliamentarian Mr Trilochan said that Mr Naveen Patnaik had failed miserably in protecting the interest of the state during his tenure as Union minister and the imminent meeting with the prime minister will be an ‘acid test’ for him to prove his sincerity, and competence. While the state list in the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution has maintained that the taxes and mineral rights should vest with the states and the centre is entrusted with the development and regulation only, the control exercised by the centre is unnecessary and to some extent, curtails the role of the states. Underscoring the need of a simplified mineral policy, he opined to form an independent expert committee to decide the cost and profit as per the global market mechanism.

Daily labourer dies

JAJPUR, Dec. 12: A daily labourer died on the spot after he fell from a 150 feet tower at Baladev Patana near Bhuban village under Dharmasala police station limits today.

The deceased has been identified as Jayadev Nayak (25) of Balipasi village of Anandapur in Keonjhar district.

According to the police sources, Jayadev, a daily labourer,used to work in Solax company.

The company was erecting a tower near Bhuban village for Vodaphone.
While Jayadev was working on the tower, he fell down, and died on the spot.

14 December

Patkar ready to mediate between villagers & CM on Posco

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 13: Social activist Ms Medha Patkar dared chief minister Naveen Patnaik to a public debate on the Posco project and displacement related issues or for that matter any other project be it Vedanta, Kalinga Nagar or KBK plan.

She even offered to mediate between villagers and the CM, provided the latter agreed to a talk on the Posco issue. The gram sabha is the final word be it at the plant site villages or its proposed mining area at Khandadhar where tribals stay, she noted. Let him talk to the gram sabha and if required we are prepared to facilitate this, she remarked.

Evidently taking a dig at the CM for having said that Medha Patkar ought to realise that Orissa is a poor state and projects like these would bring in revenue and employment, Ms Patkar today said let him agree for a public debate.

Conscious of the fact that the CM shies away from public discussions, Ms Patkar recalled, earlier for 20 days people were on dharna demanding a discussion on Posco, she and Mr BD Sharma had even squatted before the CM’s residence demanding a discussion but it did not materialise.

More recently, I had written a letter to the CM for a dialogue and negotiation but there has been no response till date, she said.

With regard to her two-day visit to the project site villages, Ms Patkar said people were silenced and their ‘silence was pregnant' . She condemned the terror and state repression that had taken place in villages of the proposed Posco project site. Talking to reporters here she demanded immediate withdrawal of police force, stern action against hired goons who were patrolling the area and establishment of democratic rights of the people.

The police and hired elements followed me wherever I went over the last two days. Women who had fed me during my last visit welcomed me with folded hands but did not speak.

I was told that they were all threatened, yet the fact that hundreds moved with me silently, greeted me at Nuagaon and other villages, stood by the roadside spoke volumes, she observed.

Majority of the people do not want to give up their land, betel vines and right to fish but the state wants to impose the project on them. Gram sabha has the right over the resources not the Naveen Patnaik government, she charged.

Reacting to the charge that even the anti-Posco activists had harassed and tortured people in villages, she said about 50 people had met her saying they were neither pro and anti-project and yet they had been ostracised. These people should return home, she said adding that some of it was highly exaggerated as she found only 18 homes deserted but all belongings inside the house were intact. Prof. M Engineer of the teachers and scientists against mal-development association of West Bengal, who had accompanied Ms Patkar, said that proposed Posco site was fast slipping into a Nandigram like situation. The move is to keep others out, isolate the area and impose the project, he alleged.

Relaxation of rules to clear Posco project alleged

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 13: The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) has alleged that regulatory agencies have relaxed rules to clear Posco steel plant’s captive port project.

The World Bank is lobbying for the project as the US pension funds and corporate investors have a huge stake in Posco, Mr Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of WSO, said.
The speed at which clearances have been accorded and preferential treatment given to the company, has raised everyone's eyebrows even within the concerned departments, Mr Mohanty noted.

Indian companies face numerous hurdles and delays in obtaining routine clearances for even small projects. Recommendations made by the officials of the ministry of environment and forests, Bhubaneswar, to carry out detailed impact studies have been ignored. Similarly, the recommendation letter dated 26 June, 2007, of the Orissa forest department is full of misleading data. It conceals the fact that the beaches at Jatadhar Muhan is a significant nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles and has justified the location of the project at Paradeep.

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) studies are inadequate. Instead of carrying out a study of the offshore sea currents for a period of one year, the study has been made for only 34 days.

Dredging of 28 million cubic metres of sand for setting up the Jatadhar Muhan port would be disastrous and would affect the food chain of the Olive Ridley turtles.

According to official comments on the EIA of the captive port at Jatadharmuhan creek, sent by the chief conservator of forests, of the Eastern India Regional Office, (MOEF), Bhubaneswar, to the Government of India in August 2006, it has been pointed out that the company has carried out a rapid EIA for three months only which is insufficient.

The inadequacy of the rapid EIA study was objected to by a senior professor, who is a member of the State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA).
He said that the data is inadequate and a time of three months is not enough to study the life and habitats of many species.

MOEF has strongly recommended that impact studies on Olive Ridley sea turtles should be carried out. who live near the Orissa coast for at least six months.

The forest advisory committee has granted forest clearance, Mr Mohanty said despite the absence of impact studies.

The wildlife wing of the government has also claimed that the coastal waters is the migratory pathway for the turtles.

The project is likely to make a negative impact on the marine ecosystem.
Ironically, instead of demanding studies to ascertain the impact on the turtles and other marine organisms on which little data is available, the wildlife wing has demanded a five per cent of the project cost of Rs 2,550 crore for research.

Due to the hostile attitude of the villagers, officials cannot visit the site to verify the data.

An aerial inspection was done which is a departure from the process under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for forest diversion.

Left-wing extremism has dropped: Kumawat

BHUBANESWAR, Dec 13: Except for three or four incidents of Chhatisgarh the violence level in Left wing extremist affected states has dropped considerably claimed Mr ML Kumawat, special secretary ( internal security) here today.

Mr Kumawat was talking to reporters after a meeting of the task force on Left wing extremism here. Top cops of nine Left wing extremist affected states, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and UP discussed various aspects of intelligence sharing and effective security measures.

The violence level and casualty has come down drastically he said while exuding confidence of ending the menace soon.

The focus was on synergy and improved sharing of intelligence amongst states as well as between the state and the centre. The synergy on both development activity and security aspects were discussed and each state put forth its views.

He lauded the efforts of Orissa in this direction and said they had done an excellent job.

Prisoners call off fast

KORAPUT, Dec. 13: Hunger strike by the prisoners of Koraput district jail was called off late in the evening today with the intervention of the district administration.

All the 729 prisoners of the jail were on a hunger strike demanding transfer of the jail superintendent along with some other issues. The prisoners have alleged that the quality of rice used in the jail was sub standard and they were served only radish and potato in their meals while the district jail was producing many other vegetables, Niranjan Das, jailer of the district jail said. Speaking to Balakrushna Sahu, the district collector of Koraput and UR Rao, the SP of Koraput who had met the prisoners inside the jail, the prisoners had urged them to ensure better quality of food, to provide a telephone booth inside the jail premises for the prisoners and to give cash instead of biscuits. Apart from demanding basic amenities inside the jail they also demanded for granting parole to all the prisoners by giving relaxation in the existing norms and conditions. While the district collector had agreed to see that qualitative food with better rice and fresh vegetables was given in the prison, he however expressed his inability on solving other issues and hence assured the intimate their demands would be passed on to the higher authorities.

The situation turned tense as the prisoners looking at the failure of talks with the administration in the morning attempted to keep the staff members including the officials of the jail in their captivity. With the fear of getting assaulted by the prisoners no jail official dared to enter the jail premises the entire day, especially after the prisoners made an attempt to catch Mr Das, the jailer, while he was going on his regular rounds.

Moreover all the 729 prisoners attempted to break the main gate of the jail in the morning, Mr Das added. As a result a portion of the main gate and at some other places were damaged. Additional police force were deployed in the jail to avoid any untoward incident. While there were many instances where individual prisoners had gone on strike for meeting their personal demands, this was for the first time that such a unified strike was called by the prisoners in the district jail of Koraput.

Police outpost a bone of contention

KEONJHAR, Dec. 13: The house from where the Ghatagaon police circle inspector office is running is going to be a bone of contention between the Ghatagaon Samabaya Samiti (GSS) and the Ghatagaon police.

The Ghatagaon police has not yet given a single pie as rent to the GSS for the house that the former got from the latter through a resolution.

Sources say on December 21, 2002 as per a resolution, GSS made available its three houses to the Ghatagaon police for the office of the circle inspector. The then circle inspector Sri Maheswara Sethy took the charge of the house through a bi-party resolution.

Four years have passed, but the GSS which is under Dhenkikote has not got even a rupee as rent. As such 15 members of Dhenkikote passed a resolution as per which two months time would be given to the Ghatagaon police to deposit the four years rent amounting of Rs 48,000 or vacate the house. In this regard the Ghatagaon circle inspector Mr BB Patel said that as some documents were not with the department, so it failed to give the monthly rent. But the pending rent would be paid soon.

Villagers ‘solve’ murder case

SAMBALPUR, Dec. 13: What trained police could not do, common men have done that. They successfully cracked a murder case and exposed the culprits.

The incident took place in Singhpali village under Aithapali police station where a youth Saroj Oram was absconding for two days after the death of his father.

His widow mother and villagers lodged a FIR suspecting that hewas murdered due to property dispute. But police took it lightly. Even after one month of the incident the matter remained a mystery.

The villagers handed over a youth including two others to Ainthapali police on the same night and gheraoed the police station.

Then only police swung into action and on the information from the accused youth police searched a big pond from where the decomposed body of Saroj was recovered. Villagers, earlier, informed police that the opponents of Saroj might have thrown him into the pond after murdering him which was true.

Police arrested Margasira Oram, Mahadev Oram, Bhagaban Oram and Biranchi Dila of Singhpali village and forwarded them to court. They admitted killing Saroj, the police said.

It needs a mention that Ainthapali has emerged as a crime prone area in the district. Senior police department officials worried that they should do something to save the image of the department.

However, Ainthapali police maintained that they had not neglected the case in any way, and it was only that they were overburdened and busy with a lot of work.