[Reader-list] People vs POSCO, Jagatsinghpur, Orissa - Report release and video on people's resistance in Orissa

[sridevi panikkar]

Dear Friends



A strong people's resistance has been going on in the parts of Jagatsinghpur
district of Orissa against acquisition of their land for a steel plant and
captive port proposed in the area since July 2005, a month after the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the project was signed between
the Government of Orissa and Pohang Steel Company Limited (POSCO).



The current situation in the area is very tense. The government seems to be
hell bent to expedite the implementation of the project. Several platoons of
Orissa Military Police were deployed in the area five days before the
mandatory environmental clearance public he aring on 15 th April 2007. The
protests in the three affected Gram Panchayats have become stronger
especially after PM Manmohan Singh's statement on April 19th asking the
Orissa government to expedite the land acquisition process.



Though the state and central government claim that they will not use force,
the military build up in the area suggests otherwise and raises the alarming
possibility of a repeat of violent incidents of state repression like
Kalinganagar, Singur and Nandigram.



This case once again brings up larger issues relating to displacement, the
process and type of industarialisation, role of the state in corporate land
acquisition, people's participation in decision making related to these
issues and the resultant constitutional crisis,   issues related to Foreign
Direct Investment and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.



*Let us meet on Friday, 4th May at 3 p.m. at the Indian Social Institute to
discuss these issues, the current situation in Jagatsinghpur and beyond and
discuss strategies and further actions. *



We will begin the meeting by sharing the main observations and
recommendations made by the Independent fact finding team which has just
returned from the area. Sumit Chakravartty, Editor, Mainstream will present
these on behalf of the team. A video documentation by Sangharsh 2007 team on
the issue with interviews with individuals and leaders from the movement
against POSCO in the affected villages will be screened. This will be
followed by a discussion. Prof.Arun Kumar, Com.Ajay Patnaik, D.Bandhopadhyay,
Prashant Bhushan, Praful Bidwai and other friends will be present for the
discussion, giving inputs on economic, political, law and policy related
issues.



Please do join us …



Regards



Bijulal MV, Sridevi Panikkar, Vijayan M J and other friends of the Delhi
Solidarity Group



Bijulal MV-09968161012

Sridevi Panikar-09868099304
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