Two demonstrations against Vedanta - in one week
Published by MAC on 2005-12-09
Two demonstrations against Vedanta - in one week
9th December 2005
A year after the Indian Supreme Court first condemned the activities of UK-based Vedanta Resources plc in Orissa, last week the state opened a Public Hearing, to entertain objections to the company's proposal to construct an aluminium smelter. The District Collector - who is supposed to oversee such hearings - was conspicuous by his absence. More than 500 people from the neighbouring towns of Sundergarh, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda, gathered in protest. The Indian Supreme Court (SC) has still not issued a verdict on Vedanta's highly-controversial Lanjigarh alumina refinery, and the SC itself issued a note, demanding that the Hearing be cancelled.
Only four days previously, tribal members - including many directly impacted by Vedanta's operations and plans - also demonstrated against the company in front of the state's Assembly building.
Meanwhile, the British press has continued to observe a shocking silence on one of the worst current violations of Indigenous peoples' rights anywhere by a UK mining company.