By Countercurrents

The Indian subcontinent is going through an extensive invasion on the resources of land, water and forests today. There are thousands of struggles for the protection of environment, livelihood and culture as a result of this invasion. The Adivasis, Dalits, fisher folk, farmers, women and children are the obvious victims of this invasion. The introduction of Globalistion has extended the speed of this destruction. People’s movements are struggling to cope up, understand and withstand the speed of global transactions, contracts, memorandums of understanding by those who are in power in India with international corporate forces.

In a few cases, like in the case of the impact of bauxite mining by the multinational called Alcan on the areas inhabited by the indigenous people (Adivasis) in Kashipur in Orissa and the impact of the invasion of the multinational called Vedanta in Odisha in India, many groups and individuals have pressurized the share holders of these companies to withdraw their shares from such investments which lead to destructive results. Such international campaigns and lobbying for ethical investment have always found some positive results at an international level on many issues. However, what we see today is one of the largest investments under globalization in India, threatening the lives of thousands farmers, Adivasis (indigenous people), Dalits, fisher folk, women and children of Odisha, by the south Korean multinational company called POSCO. The record of POSCO on human rights violations are well known among activists all over the world. The investment made by POSCO is not actually coming from South Korea alone, but also from many developed countries including the United States.

We appeal to the readers of Counter Currents to listen to the appeal by the anti-POSCO movement which has been struggling for the last ten years in Odiasha to protect the lives of the local villagers as well as the environment. We appeal to all international readers and groups who listen to this voice, to do whatever you can to convince the share holders to divest from POSCO on this largest destructive development project which is taking shape in India.

Remember, the future dictated by POSCO will be a pattern followed by all forces of globalization in India in future.

We request you to read the appeal and do whatever you can to express solidarity nationally and internationally to this important struggle in India.

Editor
CounterCurrents.org

 

AN APPEAL TO STRENTHEN THE SOLIDARITY OF THE ANTI-POSCO MOVEMENT IN ODISHA

Dear friends,

As you are aware, apart from the grave threat to the land, water and forests and the threat of displacement of thousands of people, the largest FDI under Globalisation, POSCO has already been instrumental in one of the largest human rights violators in India. POSCO has violated all norms of human rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution, violated Coastal Regulation Notification (CRZ), violated Forest Rights Act and even the basic rights of women, children and the indigenous people.

The peaceful resistance carried out the Posco Pratirodh Sangrame Samiti (PPSS) during the last ten years for the livelihood rights of farmers, fisher folk and adivasis, has faced grave human rights violations under the nose of this company. Over 100 bombs have thrown at the protesters and over 100 people have been shot. Four people have killed due to the invasion of POSCO in the region. Activists and leaders of the anti-POSCO movement are continuously put in jails on many occasions. At the moment, there are two activists in jail. Many people are continuously being arrested and fabricated cases are charged on the activists and local people to suppress the movement.The leader of the movement Abhay Sahoo is facing around 64 false cases. Around 360 false and fabricated cases are charged over 2500 activists and police warrant has been issued on around 2500 people.Among them 500 are women. Most of the FIRs have no names and therefore anybody can be picked up by the police. Women and children who need immediate medical attention in the affected area of the resistance against the proposed steel plant of POSCO, can not even go out to the nearby hospital for treatment, due to the fear of being picked up by the police. In this context, we request friends who morally support the struggle to express their solidarity in the following ways:

1. Publicize this issue nationally and internationally as wide as you can.

2. Form national and international fact finding teams to investigate and publicize the reports on:

a. Human rights violations on the human rights defenders of the anti-POSCO movement,

b. The impact of POSCO on women and children, c. Impact of POSCO on environment.

3. Reach out and influence the shareholders to disinvestment their shares on POSCO since this is one of the greatest unethical investment affecting environment, fisher folk, farmers, indigenous people, women and children, aggressively violating all norms of human rights.

4. Generate wider support in the national and international media on the issue.

5. Raise the issue at the UN and other bodies of human rights, women’s rights and environmental concerns.

6. Campaign for:

a. The release of activists who are imprisoned in jail, and

b. Dropping of all fabricated cases against the activists, and

c. Immediate halt to all strategies of repression adopted by the Odisha State government in collaboration with POSCO.

7. Strenthen an effective campaign in support of these issues on the net.

We request you to circulate this appeal as wide as possible within your network.

In solidarity,

Prashant Paikary
Spokesperson, POSCO pratirodh Sangram Samiti[PPSS]
On behalf of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS)
Mobile -91+9437571547