British company Vedanta Resources’ highly-destructive bauxite mines in tribal areas in India are increasingly under siege. The most high-profile case is the proposed mine on the sacred mountain of the Dongria Kond people in Odisha (formerly Orissa) state (see PN 2520).
A government investigation in March concluded that Vedanta’s mine “may lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh [as a people]”, and the mine has not yet received final clearance. During July, Vedanta suffered three major blows to its plans. India’s environment and forests minister ordered an investigation into the Dongria’s rights to their forest; the chief secretary of Odisha state ordered a separate probe on the same topic; and leading Dutch investment firm PGGM announced it had sold its stake in Vedanta over human rights concerns.
In early August, two leading Dongria anti-Vedanta campaigners were kidnapped for several days by plainclothes police. Sena Sikaka and Lodu Sikaka were released after being beaten and forced to sign documents.
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Topics: International solidarity