[Reader-list] Statement of organisations on violent attack of paid POSCO goons on villagers in Odisha

[asit das]

*Stop state-sponsored violence on the democratic anti-POSCO movement*

*Scrap the POSCO project without delay*



We the undersigned strongly condemn the deplorable violence and murder that
was caused by the lumpen elements and paid goons of POSCO at Bokalish Point
near the port town of Paradip, in Jagatsingpur district of Odisha.
Thousands of villagers in the district have been struggling for the past
six years against the proposed steel plant by POSCO in the area. Around 2
p.m. on 14 December 2011 when more than 3000 men, women, and children were
protesting peacefully against an approach road being forcibly constructed
and funded by POSCO, a group of more than 500 paid POSCO goons who are the
musclemen of Bapi Circle, a contractor who has got a large contract to
build roads and other works, attacked the peaceful protesters with sharp
weapons and bombs. THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE ATTACK, WHEN BOMBS WERE HURLED
AGAINST the PROTESTERS, DWIJABAR SWAIN FROM AMONG THE ATTACKERS WAS
APPARENTLY HIT BY ONE OF THEIR OWN BOMBS AND DIED.  AS THE PROTESTERS WERE
NOT USING BOMBS IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. Also, in the
violent attack by the goons, many protesting men, women, and children were
severely injured. All this happened with the full knowledge and protection
of the Odisha Police that wants to use this incident as a cover to forcibly
enter the villages and suppress the anti-POSCO movement. Such tactics have
been applied by the administration and the police earlier too. We strongly
condemn such dastardly design by the state in which people who are fighting
to keep alive democratic values are repressed brutally, and that too for
safeguarding the profit-interest of a private company and by deploying paid
goons. This exposes the incestuous nexus between national/multinational
corporations and the Indian State, their coercive apparatus at play, and
the agents of ruling-class political parties.



We demand:

·         Immediate arrest and trial of the paid goons who attacked the
villagers

·         Immediate withdrawal of the police force from the area

·         Immediate and unconditional release of Abhay Sahu, leader of the
POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS)

·         Scrapping of the POSCO project

·         Adequate arrangement for the treatment of the injured
villagers without intimidation





In solidarity with the anti-POSCO struggle,



   1. Prafulla Samantra                                            NAPM
   2. Student for Resistance                  Delhi University JNU
   3. Wilfred Decosta                                               INSAF
   4. Kalpana Meheta
   Socialist Activist
   5. Kiran Shaheen                                  Media Action Group
   Delhi
   6. Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty                         POSCO Pratirodh
   Solidarity, Delhi
   7. Subrat Kumar Sahoo                                       POSCO
   Pratirodh Solidarity, Delhi
   8. Asit
   Das                                                                POSCO
   Pratirodh Solidarity, Delhi
   9. Mamta Dash
   POSCO Pratirodh Solidarity, Delhi
   10. Bhanumati
   POSCO Pratirodh Solidarity, Delhi
   11. Vijay Pratap
   Socialist Front
   12. Kanch Kohli
   Kalpa Vriksh
   13. Ajay Mahajan                                                    Beej
   Bachao Andolan
   14. Neha Saigal
   Green Peace
   15. Subhasini Shriya                                              Kranti
   Kari Naujawan Sabha
   16. Amit Chakrabarty                                            Kranti
   Kari Naujawan Sabha
   17. Nayan Jyoti
   Kranti Kari Naujawan Sabha
   18. Arya Thomas
   Kranti Kari Naujawan Sabha
   19. Shankar Gopal Krishnan                                Campaign for
   Survival and Dignity
   20. P.K. Sundram
   Editor dianuke.org
   21. Prakash Kumar Roy                                         Editor
   Bargad.org
   22. Naveen Chander                                              New
   Socialist Initiative
   23. Mayur Chetia
   Research Scholar JNU
   24. Shehnaz Malek                                 Arman Mahila
   Sanghthan, Ahmedabad
   25. Rajni Kant Mudgal
   Socialist Front
   26. Rajvir Power
   Kisan Panchayat
   27. Dr. Ritu Priya
   Professor JNU
   28. Rita Kumari
   Pravasi Nagarik Manch, Delhi