[Reader-list] STOP POSCO! FREE INDIA!

[asit das]

*STOP POSCO! FREE INDIA!*



Dear friends,



In another two months, India will complete 65 years of independence. We
will be forced to remember many people who sacrificed their self interests
for the benefit our freedom. Sadly, during the one and a half decades of
the post-globalisation era in India, our leaders are sacrificing the very
purpose of the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom. India’s land,
rivers, hills, seas and forests are being sold to global corporates,
displacing millions of farmers, dalits, adivasis and fisher folk today,
devastating this country’s environment.



The project planned by the multinational giant POSCO represents the largest
Foreign Direct Investment of this country (FDI) during the post-globalised
India. The project will destroy the lives of thousands of farmers, dalits,
women, children, fisher people and indigenous people.



The people’s movement against POSCO started soon after the signing of the *MOU
between POSCO and Odisha Government. *Since then over hundred bombs have
been thrown at the resisting villagers by the pro-POSCO goons and around
100 villagers have been shot by the Odisha police. While our leaders like
Abhay Sahoo and Narayan Reddy along with more than 1500 villagers and
activists are facing over 200 fabricated false charges. Many villagers can
not come out of their villages even for their hospitalization, due to the
threat of arrests. While 5 activists are still in jail, the struggle
against POSCO led by POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti is still resisting this
invasion by a global capitalist giant in partnership with the Central and
State Governments.



We believe that if the anti-POSCO movement is suppressed due to the
interests of the corporations, it will affect many similar struggles in
Odisha as well as rest of India. Since this SEZ project is the largest FDI
investment in this country, it has to be treated as a symbol of struggle
against globalization and India’s freedom. Therefore, we appeal to all
freedom lovers in India and all over the world to mark your resistance by
responding on the day of the completion of the 7th year of signing of the *MOU
between POSCO and the Government*, on *June 22, 2012*. We appeal to all
activists, organizations, people’s movements and concerned indivuals
against globalization to express their strong protest against this
corporate invasion of our lands. We appeal to groups and people’s movements
working on fisher people, dalits, women, children and indigenous people to
organize solidarity actions on *June 22nd*, since it is the lives of these
very forces which are at stake. On this historical event, PPSS calls for
the following actions all over India and abroad to initiate the fo9llowing
actions:



1.     Protests in your region demanding the ouster of POSCO and removal of
all fabricated false cases against activists and villagers

2.     Public meetings in your region condemning the threat of displacement
and environmental destruction by POSCO

3.     Expressions through, songs, posters, paintings, theatre, print media
and internet actions against POSCO

4.     Mobilise concerned sections to be part of the event in Odisha

5.     Write letters to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Minister
of Odisha

6.     Document the events in Odisha and elsewhere through written media as
well as video for future campaigns, or

7.     Any other symbolic or imaginative actions you may chose.



We welcome all those who wish to participate in the event in Odisha and
express their support to this historic struggle.



In Solidarity,



Prashant Paikary

Spokesperson, *POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti*

Mobile no-09437571547

E-Mail - prashantpaikary at gmail.com



 *How to Reach *

·        Board the train Puri-Paradeep passenger at 7am from Bhubaneswar
and 8.30 am from Cuttack.

·        Get down at the station Bada Bandha ( Before Paradeep Railway
station ) at 10 am ( the distance from Bada bandha to Patnahat is 7 KM away
)

·        Public meeting at Patanahat  120’clock to 3 PM at Balithitha

·        Return by the train Paradeep – Puri Passanger  from Bada Bandha at
5.30 pm