Over 100 Orissa villagers injured in clash with police
Bruce K. Thangkhal
POSCO
New Delhi: In strong protest against the Centre, Government of Orissa and South Korean steel major POSCO, the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti kick-off the Resistance Week at Balitutha in Orissa on May 15 leaving more than 100 people injured in police action.
This resistance week will lasts May 21.
Thousands of villagers from Balitutha and Dhinkia Charidesh affected by the POSCO-India steel Project had being staging peaceful sit-in protest at Balitutha since January 26 this year. Balitutha is the main entry point to the site of POSCO, a South Korean company. In spite of the peoples’ protest, the Government did not pay heed to them. In stead the Government has been showing extra-ordinary favours to the corporate such as POSCO, Vedanta and TATA. The lands and the resource of the villagers have been tactfully grasped by the corporate giants leaving them into scores of miseries and pangs of hunger. The lives of the poor villagers are unnoticed in the face of today’s politicians and government officials.
According to the appeal made by Abhay Sahu, President, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), “On the last Republic Day, both Manmohan Singh and Naveen Patnaik governments had assured to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in a special meeting at Delhi that the state government will expedite works ‘to hand over lands to POSCO’. Throwing behind all protocols related to Republic Day celebrations in Orissa, a frustrated CM rushed to Delhi to prove his allegiance to SK President, PM, CM along with UPA Chairperson had a meeting with him. They did not hesitate to sell the ‘dignity’ of people’s India to a private company on the same day of India’s pride”.
Under failure to displace the people by any means has made the desperate Orissa Government blood-thirsty, Sahu further stated: “On 12 May 2010, the Orissa Police killed one person at Kalinga Nagar, where they had massacred 14 persons on 2 January 2006. They are going to use the same murderous tricks at Dhinkia Charidesh to dissuade people from their resistance. On 11 May, they sent 25 platoons of heavily armed police force and have already taken position around Balitutha and Dhinkia Charidesh to attack the unarmed peasants, fisher-folks, landless daily labourers, dalits, other backward classes, men, women and children who are continuing their peaceful resistance movements”. He added, “With a well-crafted evil design, they have also brought three magistrates with the police and sent five ambulances to nearby Kujanga Hospital. Almost all the schools at nearby villages have been forcibly occupied by the Police force in spite of the opposition by the villagers.”
Shri Sahu also sought continuous supports and cooperation to the people in this struggles for the protection of their lands and livelihoods from the clutches of the South Korean eagle POSCO. People in thousand numbers gathered in Balitutha to express their support and solidarity to the struggling villagers.
Whether the protest will success, is uncertain under such impassive government? The Central Government, Orissa Government and POSCO are solely responsible for the plights of these hapless villagers.
