[Reader-list] Fwd: POSCO Clearance a betrayal of Indian Constitution and people: NFFPFW condemns the MoEF decision

[Nagraj Adve]

POSCO Clearance a betrayal of Indian Constitution and people: CONDEMN

Evidently, the short burst of 'environmentalism' from the Government
of India is over. The India INC should not feel disconcerted anymore;
its concerns over 'placing environment over development' were well
heeded. For the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of
India, it's back-to-business once again, with granting of
environmental and forest clearances to so-called 'development'
projects that violate almost all the rules in the book, pronto. After
initial hiccups consisting of forming a number of committees on the
now infamous POSCO issue, the MoEF has decided to go back to the roots
of the problem, wisely. While all the Government Committee Reports and
findings by a host of other agencies have definitively proved that
forest and environmental clearance to the Project will be in direct
contravention of Forest Rights Act 2006 (and other statutes), and that
the Orissa Government had deliberately failed to record the legitimate
claims of the bona-fide forest dwellers residing in the proposed
project area, the Ministry now gives the project forests and
environmental clearance and says it is up to the Orissa Government to
'assure' the Ministry that there are no ' Other Traditional Forest
Dwellers(OTFD)' in the area before forest clearance is issued. The
contention is that if there are no OTFDs, there is no law violation,
because FRA then will not apply.

Whom exactly is the Indian Government trying to fool? The Orissa
Government  from the day one has been clamouring that the POSCO
project (port and steel plant) area does not contain forest dwellers
and hence the FRA does not apply. They will now issue a 'categorical
assurance' to the effect and the MoEF and its Minister will be assured
that FRA is not being violated, despite all evidences to the contrary?
Is it a joke? Does the Minister wish to take us all on a 'humourous'  ride?

If it is so, then the joke is stale and the humour, if any, is morbid.
The POSCO clearance constitutes a betrayal; not only of people
residing in the project area demanding their just legal rights but
also the values and laws that are enshrined in this Country's
constitution. This also shows that this Government is not to be
trusted where going against corporate interests is involved: it will
callously kill its own laws.

We condemn and protest this illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic
clearance and demand that the Indian Government revoke this clearance
immediately. We express our solidarity with the anti-Posco struggle in
Orissa and urge all people's movements and pro-people democratic
forces of the country to unite in condemnation of the POSCO clearance.
The clearance will signal increased repression on the anti-Posco
struggle in the days to come. The resistance will also grow.

People will not take it lying down any more.

In solidarity,

Sanjay Basu Mullick
Convenor
NFFPFW Secretariat, Ranchi

--
"Protect Livelihoods - Protect Resources"
National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW)
B-137 Dayanand Colony, 1st Floor
Lajpat Nagar IV
New Delhi - 110024
Ph: 011-26486931
E mail: nffpfwindia at gmail.com

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