[Reader-list] Vikalp at Prithvi presents 3 Films on Mining in India | 27 Sep, Juhu, Bombay

[Chandni Parekh]

E-group members can view the poster on 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120143048041130




Vikalp at Prithvi Presents
UNDERMINING THE EARTH
3 Films on Mining in India

The Real Face of Vedanta  by Surya Shankar Dash | 33 min

The Real Face of Vedantadraws attention to the plight of the communities from 
more than twenty villages suffering from the pollution caused by the one million 
tonne per annum aluminium refinery plant of Vedanta in Lanjigarh, Orissa. The 
film has shocking images of river pollution by the Vedanta refinery  while it 
claims to be zero discharge factory. The impact of the pollution is explicit on 
the faces of little children and on the bodies of men and women afflicted by 
undiagnosed skin blisters. The film was used as evidence on  how a Public 
Hearing by the State Pollution Control Board was disrupted by Vedanta’s 
supporters when people opposed the expansion of the refinery and thus 
contradicted the official statement which claims people support for the 
project. Thisdocumentary exposes many lies of Vedanta like its claims of 
providing cholera relief to the Dongria Kondh, of doing peripheral development, 
etc.

Iron is Hotby Biju Toppo and Meghnath | 35 min       

Loha Garam Hai (Iron is Hot) is the story of people surviving within the sponge 
iron industry in India. This material is made out of iron ore used for making 
steel. Though India began producing sponge iron only 20 years ago, today the 
country is the largest sponge iron manufacturer in the world. India had only 
three sponge iron factories in 1985. The number rose to 23 in 2001 and 
multiplied to become 206 in 2005. Today, reportedly, 225 factories are under 
construction and the number is anticipated to reach 450 very soon though the 
unofficial figures may be much higher. The sponge iron industry is spread over 
Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengaland in small numbers, is found in 
Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. 



The film is on this astonishing growth but the focus is on the little benefit it 
accrues to the local people.  It won the IDPA Award for the Best Film on 
Environment recently.

Before Darkby Ajay TG | 33 min

Not long ago filmmaker Ajay TG along with pediatrician Dr. Binayak Sen were 
behind bars in notorious Chhattisgarh, accused of being Naxalites. Thanks to 
public pressure both were released. In Ajay’s case the police had no explanation 
whatsoever about why he had been jailed at all. After his release Ajay continued 
to make films. His latest is a film on how Jindal Corporation has illegally 
usurped the land of adivasis and villagers, for its coal operations in 
Chhattisgarh.

Monday, 27 September, 7 PM
Prithvi House, Opp Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Mumbai 
Admission Free, On A First-Come-First-Seated Basis
For any queries, email vikalp.prithvi at gmail.com
Join the Vikalp at Prithvi group on Facebook!