The Hindu : National : Arundhati Roy joins protest against U.K. firm’s mining plan in Orissa

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Arundhati Roy joins protest against U.K. firm’s mining plan in Orissa

Special Correspondent

It will lead to the devastation of a whole ecosystem

Arundhati Roy

LONDON: Booker Prize winning writer Arundhati Roy and British human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger were among a group of high-profile figures who lent their support to a protest held here outside the offices of the mining company, Vedanta Resources, demanding that it withdraw its plans to construct a massive bauxite mine in Orissa.

Sacred site

The site of the mine is sacred to the Dongria Kondh tribe of the region. A representative of the tribe Sitaram Kulisika flew from India to attend the protest which coincided with a meeting of the company’s annual general meeting.

The Survival International, which organised the protest, released a message of solidarity from Ms. Roy.

The writer activist said: “If Vedanta is allowed to go ahead with its plans for mining the Niyamgiri Hills for bauxite it will lead to the devastation of a whole ecosystem, and the destruction of not just the Dongria Kondh tribal community, but eventually all those whose livelihoods depend on that ecosystem.”

Ms Jagger, warned that the proposed mine would damage the cultural and economic rights of the Kondh people.

“Our God”

Mr. Kulisika said : “Niyamgiri [the mountain] is our God and he is guiding us all the time, he has kept us alive. Our God has been looking after us for thousands of years. We must make sure that we keep our mountain safe.”

Stephen Corry, director of the Survival International, argued that the days of British companies taking tribal people’ lands with impunity were over. “The court of public opinion will ensure the Dongria Kondh don’t face this threat alone: it will ensure that the damage to the company’s reputation will, in the long run, outweigh its profits. As well as being a gross human rights violation, it’s just economic madness for Vedanta to mine Dongria land,” he said.

Road blockades

The Dongria Kondh tribes have been actively resisting Vedanta’s plans by setting up road blockades.

They have also been organising human chains to prevent bulldozers from passing.

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