Despite Vedanta's roaring hoardings of 'Mining Happiness', forceful grabbing of adivasi land by the company in Lanjigarh has always been a burning issue. Adivasis had been knocking all possible doors for justice: from the local administration to various courts. Recently, responding to complaints by four adivasis of the Jagannathpur Mauja in Lanjigarh Tehsil, the National Human Rights Commission investigated the issue and identified 3.66 acres of land within the company's premises that legally belong to adivasis. Following this, the administration has now imposed Section-144 on the land and has registered a case of land-grab against the company under Regulation Act-2. This is for the first time that Vedanta's illegal land-grabbing activities has been 'officially proved'
Duduli Majhi, Kumadahi Majhi, Sombaru Majhi and Sada Majhi of the Jagannathpur Mauja in Lanjigarh Tehsil had to knock the door of the NHRC. They had complained that Vedanta Alumina Ltd had forcibly and without any notice built its staff colony on their land, both entitled as well as encroached (dakhal land).
The said grabbed land was identified by Kalahandi sub-collector Jagannath Mohanty and the Tehsildar of Lanjigarh in the presence of the special representative of the NHRC, Damodar Shadangi. The 3.66 acres of land identified belong to the families of the four adivasis; such 'official' identification of land grabbed by the company has happened for the first time. Since Vedanta has illegally built its structure on the adivasis' land, the administration has now imposed Section-144 on the land and has also filed a case under Regulation Act-2 against the company for illegal land-grabbing.
After five years of running around through administrative paraphernalia, the intervention of the NHRC has now opened up some hope for the adivasis to get back their land. However, Vedanta CEO, Mukesh Kumar, denies on camera any violations by the company and says that they have furnished all documents with the NHRC.
The story of these four adivasis is not an isolated one; in fact there is a long list of cases of illegal land acquisition by the company. For more than a month now, since 26 March 2011, these hundreds of people are sitting in protest for justice, each with a similar story. Daka Majhi of village Bandhguda is one among them, on whose entitled land in Rengopali Mauja, Vedanta has illegally built its conveyor belt, road, and pipelines. Daka Majhi is still on the road in hope of justice.
The notification on the 3.66 acre of land grabbed by the company is a kind of victory for the adivasis. But, what kind of 'development' is it, in which the peaceful and happy life of the adivasis is encroached upon by a company? Where there is an overdose of advertisements glorifying 'tribal development', why is it that the same adivasis have to wage painful battles to retain their ancestral land and secure livelihoods? Why do they have go to the NHRC for such a notification? Why can't the government that is trumpeting loud about 'development through industry' listen to the voices of the displaced???
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Vedanta in Orissaby activemedia8,598 views
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