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Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS), a committee formed to safeguard interests of local tribals, has voiced its opposition to mine bauxite atop the hills yet again, stating it would affect the worship rights of the indigenous Kondhs.
"The proposed bauxite mining site may be 10 km from the abode of the Niyam Raja but it is going to affect the right of worship of the tribals. The tribals don't worship any image, they worship the hill as a whole. Vedanta company is bent on destroying all the hills. We are drawing water from the Niyamgiri hills. Besides sustaining humans living in the area, the hills also support many species of birds and animals”, said Kumuti Majhi, convener of NSS.
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 Kondha, Kutia Kondha and others, especially their right to worship their deity, known as Niyam Raja, in the hill top of the Niyamgiri range of hills, that right has to be preserved and protected.
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NSS also flayed the Odisha government for its decision to limit gram sabhas to only 12 villages and reiterated its demand to conduct the assembly meetings in all 112 affected villages.
"The state government is deliberately conducting the gram sabhas in only 12 villages to suit the interests of Vedanta. The palli sabhas need to be held in all the 112 villages to be affected by the bauxite mining project. The right to hold palli sabhas rests with the sarpanchs and not with the Central or the state government”, said Bhala Chandra Sarangi, an activist supporting the NSS.
The state government, however, defended its stand to restrict gram sabhas to only 12 villages on the Niyamgiri hill slopes.
"We have decided to organize the gram sabhas in 12 villages after consulting the law department. The government will stick to its stand”, said state minister for SC & ST development L B Himirika.
Meanwhile Sarangi said, two villages- Guma and Patangpadar, located close to the proposed bauxite mining lease area have been deliberately omitted by the state government since the residents are totally against mining activity, he said.
He also raised doubts over the conduct of gram sabhas in a free and fair manner amid huge deployment of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Forces) troops.
"More than 1,000 troops have been deployed in the Niyamgiri region, especially the 12 villages where the government has decided to hold the gram sabhas”, he stated.
Sarangi claimed the respective sarpanchs and ward members have unanimously agreed to hold the gram sabhas in all the 112 villages.
"The gram sabha proceedings will begin in all affected villages after July 20 and they are expected to be completed by the end of August. We will inform the government in advance on holding the palli sabhas. The decisions taken in these palli sabhas will be communicated to the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF)”, he added.
