[Reader-list] Fwd: STOP FORCEFUL EVICTION AND WITHDRAW POSCO PROJECT !

[Nagraj Adve]

From: Prashant Paikray <prashantpaikray at gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 8:25 PM
Subject: STOP FORCEFUL EVICTION AND WITHDRAW POSCO PROJECT !
To: Prashant Paikray <prashantpaikray at gmail.com>

STOP FORCEFUL EVICTION AND  WITHDRAW POSCO PROJECT

3rd June 2011

Dear Friends,

On 3rd June 2011 (today), at around 9 am, the Odisha police and
administration have brutally beaten villagers of Nuagoan who opposed
the forceful acquision of their land to be handed over to the POSCO
Company. Basu Behera, the Panchayat Samiti member of Gadkujang
Panchayat and vice President of PPSS (POSCO Pratirodha Sangram Samiti)
bled owing to the attack. The police destroyed their betel vines. 17
people including women and 6 children (5-12 years old) have been
arrested. Police platoons, numbering about 20, are creating an
atmosphere of fear to terrorise and force us to obey their dictates.
Now the police is threatening, by using loud speakers, that if the
villagers do not leave their betel vines voluntarily, then force will
be used indiscriminately to destroy them. The administration incited
pro-POSCO people to burn down the betel vines of Natha Samal, PPSS
member from Nuagaon  village.

Our people are in high alert and have formed human barricade at
Gobindapur village under Dhinkia gram panchayat to prevent entry of
officials and police forces into our area. For the last one week, more
than 2000 villagers both men and women are protesting day and night in
the Govindpur and Dhinkia village boarder.

As you know, from 18th of May 2011 onwards, the administration is
acquiring the land of the few villagers who are supporting the POSCO
project. Till now, the administration has acquired 38.69 acres of
forest land by demolishing a total of 434 beetle vines. The government
is creating an impression, using favourable (government support) media
houses, that people are voluntarily giving their land. This is the
well thought out strategy made by the government to confuse the public
and mobilize public opinion in favour of the project. However the
major protest is at Dhinkia Panchayat. Out of the 4004 acres of land
requirement, major chunk of land falls under Dhinkia Panchayat. We are
determined to fight against this illegal and unjust land acquisition
process.

On dated 17th May 2011 Nishakar Khatua and five others of our area
filed the petition in the High Court praying for quashing forest
clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests
(MoEF) for the project and to halt the land acquisition.

Today i.e. on 3rd of June 2011, the High Court rescheduled the hearing
of the petition challenging the land acquisition for POSCO. The state
government in its affidavit had stated that the land acquisition was
for public purpose and not for private purpose. This is a blatant lie
as we all know that this land acquisition is for a private company
like POSCO. The next hearing will be held on 8th of June 2011.

At this juncture, we appeal to all our friends to raise the pitch of
protest, visit our area and show solidarity to our people. We are
continuing our Dharana on the boarder of Govindpur and Nuagaon
villages. We are determined to fight till government withdraws the
project from our area.

Kindly widely circulate the appeal.

In Solidarity,

Prashant Paikray

Spokesperson, POSCO Pratirodha Sangram Samiti

Mobile no.- 09437571547