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Rayagada/Bhubaneswar: 29/03/05

In continuation of its support and solidarity to the ongoing peoples movements across the state against the loot of natural resources and also against state repression on those who have been opposing the loot, the Despremi Jan Samukhya , in a massive rally followed by a mass convention at Rayagada on 29^th March-the martyr’s day of Saheed Laxman Nayak has given a clarion call to all people having love for the state to oppose the plunder of resources promoted and patronized by the government at the cost of life, livelihood and ecological security of Orissa. The rally, which started from the Rayagada Railway station and culminated at a mass convention at Rayagada Bus Stand, gathered more than 5000 protesters drawn from all over the state cutting across ideology and culture. Anti imperialist, anti-MNC, anti-UAIL and anti – Vedanta slogans were raised throughout the procession and at the end the leaders of the Samukhya and other participant organizations addressed the conventions highlighting the demands they had mentioned in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister.

The speakers condemned the killing of Sukru Majhi, Word Member of Kinari, Lanjigarh and a leader of the anti- Vedanta people’s struggle by a vehicle engaged by Vedanta-Sterlite on the 27^th of March 2005 apparently to silence the voice of protest in the area. The same thing has been happening in Kashipur for a long time. Innocent protesters in Kashipur have booked under false charges and a reign of terror has been unleashed in Kashipur particularly since 1st December 2004.The district administrations can’t afford to go against the free citizens of a democratic country unless they have blessings from top political and administrative authorities, alleged the leaders.

While opposing government policies of appeasing unscrupulous foreign and Indian companies and letting them plunder rich and life saving natural resources of the state in the name of rapid industrialization, Samukhya leaders accused the government and the mainstream political parties for creating an illusion in the minds of the literate and non-literate public that industrialization will act as a pill for every ill in Orissa, though they are well aware of the realities that the loot that is happening in the name of industrialization will only cause more and more disasters for the ordinary people of the state and would enrich the elite class which creates Orissa’ leaders and administrators. The myth of employment generation will soon unfold itself but not before displacing thousands of families from their home, habitant and livelihoods, said the leaders. They also claimed that by setting-up mines based industries the state will suffer irreversible environmental hazards such as drying of rivers, cutting down of thick forests and destruction of the ecology. By the establishment of the Alumina projects at Lanjigarh and Kashipur the entire river system in South Orissa comprising of rivers such as Bansadhara, Nagabali, Jhanjabati, etc. will dry-out and will be filled up with red mud. This in turn would lead further to livelihood deprivation of thousands of families ultimately leading them to perpetual poverty. The elected representatives of the people have found it profitable to hold the brief for the greedy MNCs, their Indian abettors and mafia who cause woes to the common people. The opposition to the entry of such greedy MNCs and mafia who threaten the life, livelihood and habitats of the common people, is held as opposition to the industrialization and development. The Government continues to further the cause of Sterlite and Vedanta irrespective of the observation by the Central Empowered Committee setup by the Supreme Court that the setting-up of the Alumina refinery by Sterlite Industries is illegal. One wonders whether the elected Government represents the people or the Anil Agarwals, questioned the Samukhya leaders? The traditional owners of the land have been deprived of their land titles in the tribal areas of the state either by private landlords, land mafia or by the government itself when private companies approach the state for some projects. How long and with what cost the victims of injustice shall wait for justice? Can the elected government of the state with a constitutional mandate act as agents of private capital and go against the electors, asked the speakers at Rayagada convention. The recent move to evict forest dwellers, by the government under the pretext that they do not posses land titles was also criticized by the leaders. According to them, these forest dwellers have been living on these lands since generations much before the land record system was introduced. These tribal settlers have been designated as encroachers while your government has regularized huge patches of forest in Orissa encroached by powerful companies. The government's move to evict Slum dwellers & roadside shop owners came also under criticism. The process of eviction of urban poor has immensely benefited a class of builders, estate developers and industry. The proposed coastal highway project and other coast based projects, would dispossess lakhs of common people including farmers and fisher folk from their lands and other means of livelihoods, besides causing immense cultural and environmental pollution along the coastline. The agricultural policy is also anti-farmer and promotes unsustainable agriculture. The days are not far off when the farmers in Orissa will meet the same fate (suicide) as that of farmers of Andhra Pradesh and starvation deaths will be a common sight. The leaders also condemned the government for promoting privatization of water in the name of Pani Panchayat, while at the same time allowing private companies access to state owned water resources such as the Hirakud dam. The farmers of Orissa can’t accept this anti-agriculture and anti-farmer policy, declared the leaders. They further warned the Chief Minister, the people of Orissa can no more be fooled by the call of so-called industrialization for development of the state. They have understood that such development agenda is anti-people and has already adversely affected the people of Orissa across its length and breadth. They have now united to protect themselves and the history of successful resistance to various anti-people projects in Baliapal, Gandhamardan, Chilika, Gopalpur by the local people, provides them strength and determination. That people have always won in their struggle, however powerful the ruler against them might be, is a historical truth. The Despremi Jan Samukhya was confident that the Government’s policy of displacing and dispossessing the people from their lands, homes and livelihoods in the name of so-called development will be successfully challenged by the people of Orissa.

The demands raised by the Samukhya were communicated to the CM through the district collector included the following:

The CPI (ML), CPI (ML)-New Democracy, Samajbadi Janparishad, Loka Pakhya, CPI (ML)- Liberation, Lok Sangram Manch, Orissa, Basti Surakhya Manch, Orissa Rajya Krushak Sangathan, Bargarh, Chasi Mulia Adibasi Sangha -Koraput- Rayagada, Prakrutika Sampad Surakhya Parishad, Kashipur, Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti, Lanjigarh, Sachetan Nagarika Mancha, Kalahandi, Sambalpur Krushak Surakhya Sangathan, Gana Chetna Manch, Baliapal, Upakula Jeeban-Jeebika Suarakhya Mancha, Puri, Prachi Chasi Meli, Niali

The prominent leaders who addressed the convention included veteran communist leader Gananath Patra and other leaders of the samukhya such as Bhala Chandra Sarangi, Sivaram, Rajendra Sarangi, Lingaraj, and leaders of supporting parties and organisations such as Tirupati Gamang, Meghanath Sabar, Santosh Malick, leaders of PSSP, Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti, Farmers leaders from Sambalpur, Jharsuguda ans Sudergarh, leaders of Ghati Birodhi Andolan Bailapal and Puri etc.