Eighth gram sabha too votes against Niyamgiri mining

The tribals of Ijurupa village in Kalahandi district today unanimously voted against the plan to mine bauxite on top of Niyamgiri hills, making it the eighth palli sabha in a row to reject the mining plan. The view of the tribals was along the expected lines after seven gram sabhas had voted against the proposed mining project.

The outcome of the meeting was inconsequential since the fate of the project has already been sealed after a majority of the gram sabhas, seven out of 12 hill slope villages where such meetings were planned, said no to the mining plan.

The gram sabha in the village ended within 30 minutes after all the registered voters who turned up for the meeting, opposed the bauxite mining project.

The gram sabha was held amid tight security under the supervision of the additional district judge (vigilance) P K Jena. It was the final gram sabha in Kalahandi district where five villages were selected by the state government to hold such meetings.

“All the gram sabhas in Kalahandi district passed off peacefully,” said a senior police officer.

In Rayagada district, four gram sabhas are pending which are due for completion by August 19.

The Dongaria Kondhs and other indigenous tribals of the villages have dealt a blow to Vedanta Aluminium’s plan to source bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills to feed its refinery at the base of the hills, claiming religious and community rights over the whole hill range.

In its April 18 order on the Niyamgiri bauxite mining project (BMP), the Supreme Court (SC) held that if the BMP, in any way, affects the religious rights of Dongaria Kondh, Kutia Kondh and others, especially their right to worship their deity, known as Niyam Raja, in the hill top of the Niyamgiri range of hills, it has to be preserved and protected.