[Greenlist] ACTION ALERT: POSCO No Nandigram in Orissa

[yash]

 *PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY*
**
*Aamar Gram, Tomar Gram, Shobar Gram: Nandigram, Nandigram *

*My Village; Your Village; Everybody's village. Nandigram. Nandigram *



*ACT NOW to prevent a repeat of Nandigram in Orissa*

*Call/Fax/Email :*

*Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Orissa*

Address: Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Road, P.O.-Bhubaneswar, Dist.-Khurda Pin
-751001(Orissa)
Tel. No.(O) 0674- 2531100,2535100 (FAX)

Tel. No.(R) 0674- 2590299, 2591099,2590844,2591100,2590833

Email here cmo at ori.nic.in



   - *A multi-billion dollar steel MNC to take over 4500 acres of land *
   - *A State Government determined to help the company *
   - *15 Platoons of Armed paramilitary forces *
   - *Three villages that have barricaded themselves in a bid to protect
   their land *

*Ask the State Government to:*

   1. Create conditions favourable for hearing the villagers' concerns by
   removing paramilitary forces and police from the vicinity of project area.
   2. Announce that no project will be located against the wishes of the
   local people

Villagers opposed to POSCO's steel plant in Jagatsinhpur district of Orissa
are now at the receiving end of state violence. Fearful of the consequences
of allowing Government surveyors access to their lands, villagers of
Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Garakuchang have barricaded themselves inside their
villages, thereby restricting public access to the proposed project areas.



The sentiment, very clearly, is against the setting up of the giant steel
smelter and captive port. However, the State Government egged on by a Prime
Minister who has extended his personal blessings to the project is keen to
get on with the POSCO project at any cost.



With five days to go before the statutory public hearing – scheduled for 15
April – the Government has deployed fifteen platoons of paramilitary armed
to the teeth. On 9 April, paramilitary forces staged a flag-march aimed to
intimidate local opposition. The State Administration has chosen to hold the
Public Hearing, as a mere formality, at Kuchang – the stronghold of the
ruling BJD party.



According to local reports, the area is crawling with paid henchmen and
cadre of the ruling party. With the multinational POSCO, the State
Government, the paramilitary and the BJD henchmen lined on one side against
farmers, fisherfolk and workers opposed to POSCO on the other, the stage is
set for a repeat of Nandigram.



Local reports confirm that villagers that have barricaded themselves are
prepared to sacrifice themselves to save their lands. By underestimating the
depth of opposition to the POSCO project, the Orissa Government may be
committing the same mistake that the CPM did in Nandigram.



For details contact:

Akshay kumar

Yuva Bharat

Plot no. 849/5051

Patia, Bhuvaneshwar 31

email: yuva.bharat at rediffmail.com

Cell: 09937177794 (Ashok/Akshay-speak in hindi)
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