Civil Society Team Opposes POSCO Project

A team of academicians, journalists, human rights activists and leaders of people’s movements have expressed their categorical opposition to the proposed POSCO steel project in Orissa as anti-people, ecologically degrading and destructive of livelihood of farmers and fisher-folks and conveyed solidarity with the heroic struggle of the people of Gadkujang, Dhinkia and Nuwagaon for protection of their land and livelihood.

The team comprising of Prof Manoranjan Mohanty, (formerly of Delhi University), Sumit Chakravartty (editor, Mainstream), Tom Kochchery (Permanent Invitee, World Forum of Fisher People), Harekrishna Debnath (General Secretary, National Fisherworkers’ Forum), Tapan Bose (General Secretary, South Asia Forum for Human Rights), among others, visited Kujang near Paradeep Port, Orissa. The team interacted with the members of the resistance movement against the proposed steel project to be set up by the multinational company, POSCO. The group spoke to representa-tives of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti and Nav Nirman Samiti and later attended a dharna organised by the protesting villagers in Nuwagaon.

Attack on People’s Livelihood

THE team found that land is the major source of livelihood, with betel vines and cashew cultivation being the main source of income in Dhinkia, Nuwagaon, and Gadkujang, the villages to be affected by the project. Betel vine being a perennial crop, it provides substantial income to the cultivators. Acquisition of land for the project will destroy betel cultivation, as any alternative site cannot support such cultivation, since the fertile soil in these villages with abundant supply of water is particularly suited for betel cultivation. The solidarity group has expressed concern over such wanton destruction of the prosperous and self-sustaining agricultural economy of these villages in the name of development. It is a clear attack on the people’s subsistent economy and livelihood.

Land Acquisition and Land Alienation

A large chunk (approximately 3500 out of a total 4000 acres) of the land to be acquired is shown in revenue records as government land. But the reality of the area is that most of such land has been under continuous cultivation by peasants. Therefore, the impact of the project is going to be much more destructive than the official estimates. This is a means of land alienation too. Any land acquisition leads to land alienation, and finally turns out to be the principal source of the de-peasantisation process. Since POSCO is an SEZ, demanding more than 6000 acres, the extent of land acquisition would be rampant. The team has condemned the State Government’s decision to cede such ‘government land’ to a foreign company when it refuses to hand it over to its tillers even when mandated by land legislations of Orissa.

Special Economic or Special Exploitative Zone!

GENERALLY an SEZ is a closed enclave where no taxes are collected, there are no labour laws and there is no local government on the land taken for a pittance. Apart from unbridled land acquisition, the SEZ decimates all democratic rights like the right to self-determination, the sovereignty of the people living in these zones, etc. which constitute the very core of democracy. These zones would be alien lands with the Indian nation. Legal experts say that twentyone different Indian laws are inapplicable within the zone, one of the most important being the Panchayat law. Even otherwise it won’t have any space for the local people. The SEZ will employ only highly educated and hi-tech people. Besides, it is a duty-free zone considered foreign territory for trade and financial purposes. Under the newly formed SEZ Act, companies in the zone are granted huge concessions in customs duties, sales tax and even income tax.

Flouting Environmental Norms

THE team has also drawn attention of the government and environmentalists to the need protect the area, since the eco-system is too fragile. The proposed mining site is very close to pristine forest and natural water sources. A port if being proposed at the mouth of Jatadhar river, only seven kms away from existing port at Paradip. Jatadhar river is the major channel of water drainage for the two districts of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. It is feared that construction of the port will lead to waterlogging in the area and excessive siltation, as happened after the establishment of the Paradeep Port. The team has also questioned the need for a separate private port. When there is already a port seven kilometres from Paradip, why should there be another one? This will deprive thousands of fisherfolks of their source of livelihood.

Drama of Public Hearing

ON April 15, 2007 the Orissa Pollution Control Board conducted a public hearing in Kujang village. Despite repeated calls for postponement of the hearing or fixing a location for the hearing nearer the affected villages, the hearing—a legal requirement under Environmental Impact Assessment guidelines—was conducted some 25 kms away from the affected villages. Despite all apprehensions on land acquisition, mass displacement, loss of livelihood, property, eco-system, destruction of eco-friendly economy, the Central Government went ahead to give the environmental clearance. The resistance movement also mentioned that out of the total number of people who attended in the public hearing, hardly 20 per cent of them were from the affected villages. It seems that the drama of public hearing was well set.

Repression to meet Democratic Dissent!

THE group has condemned the repression unleashed by the State Government on the protesting villagers. Several battalions of Orissa Military Police have been deployed at Kujang, the Tehsil headquarters. Many rounds of flag-marches have already been staged to intimidate the public and throttle people‘s dissent. The local people are panic-stricken with the appearance of police and paramilitary forces into their hitherto peaceful land. Today these villages are full of paid henchmen. Several false cases have been foisted on the activists of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti and Nava Nirman Samiti.

In the light of these facts, the team has demanded:

b) To the Central Government
 1. Cancel the SEZ Approval for the POSCO project.
 2. Repeal the SEZ Act and start an open and democratic dialogue on the SEZ policy.
 3. Withdraw all environmental clearances and permission given to the project.

Prof Manoranjan Mohanty
 Sumit Chakravartty
 Thomas Kocherry
 Tapan Bose

New Delhi