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Urge India to abandon steel megaproject

by Debra Broughton — last modified 2008-03-04 17:58

In a massive resource sell-out, India has granted South Korean multinational Pohong Steel Corporation (POSCO) permission for a huge steel mining, manufacturing and export project in Orissa state. Protesters against the project have already been violently attacked. Now police appear set to launch an armed attack as they attempt to occupy part of the 6,000 acres the government promised to POSCO at a throwaway price.

violent suppression

Villagers have successfully kept company officials out of the area. But with the project’s construction set to begin on 1 April, 2008, resistance organisations fear a massive police assault in the Gadkujang, Nuagaon and Dhinkia council areas.

Already, on 29 November, 2007, fifty villagers were injured as 100 armed men bombed, beat and sexually molested protesters (mostly women). The police watched the attack, then proceeded to occupy the checkpoint.

the project

The widely unpopular project would reap tremendous profit to POSCO, thanks to unprecedented land, tax and export concessions from Indian governments. It allows for gigantic private iron ore mines, a 12 million ton steel plant, and a private port. To date government authorities have refused to negotiate with residents regarding the project.

act now

Friends of the Earth Korea/ KFEM are asking you to support this action, organised by AXN Solidarity Group: a social justice/human rights/cultural-media activists based all over India who have been supporting struggle groups and communities fighting for their rights over natural resources, against human rights abuses of the state and corporations.

Let India’s Prime Minister know that the world is watching. Urge him to abandon the POSCO project, by using the form below.

It only takes 2 minutes to show the communities that the world is on their side.

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To:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hills
New Delhi, India

Sir:

I am writing to request that you abandon the POSCO integrated mining -steel plant - port project, as it is unlikely the project can be initiated without massive bloodshed. You must be aware that women and children have placed themselves at the first line of defence at the barricade, beyond which neither the state nor the corporation has been able to enter to date.

Industrialisation and development must benefit people. It cannot occur at their cost. Considering the steadfast opposition, and the willingness of people to give up their lives rather than their lands to POSCO, I am convinced this project is unjustified, even immoral.
The enthusiasm shown by Orissa state and your own office in promoting the interests of this South Korean multinational is highly irregular.

To see the world's largest democracy at war with its own people is indeed a sad moment for all of us who believe in the democratic ideal. The conditions in and around the POSCO project site are nothing if not war-like. Reports of platoons of heavily armed police, frequent flare-ups of violence and bomb blasts, and posturing of state muscle do not bode well for Indian democracy.

I hope that POSCO's offer of Rs. 50,000 crores in investment is not tempting this great democracy's leaders to forget their obligations to its citizens. However, this hope may be misplaced. I am aware of newspaper reports that demonstrate your office has personally intervened to pressure agencies to grant regulatory permits, despite the considered opinions of officials that such permits should not be granted.

I appeal to your good sense and conscience to heed what the villagers of Jagatsinghpur are saying. They have said “NO” to POSCO, and I request you to end their strike by complying with their demands and abandoning the project.

Sincerely

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