Amnesty wants gram sabhas in 80 villages at Niyamgiri

The decision to conduct gram sabhas in 12 villages was made after the April 18 Supreme Court 

International human rights advocacy group, Amnesty International, has urged the Ddisha government to hold gram sabhas in all 80 odd Dongria Kondh Adivasi (Indigenous) and other Adivasi villages in Niyamgiri hills which are likely to be affected by bauxite mining for an alumina refinery of Vedanta Aluminium (VAL).

It pointed out that the newspaper advertisements issued by the Odisha government have asked the communities in only 12 villages — seven in Rayagada district and five in Kalahandi district — to file, within the next six weeks, their claims on the forest areas proposed to be mined.

The decision to conduct gram sabhas in 12 villages was made after the April 18 Supreme Court ruling.

The apex court has observed that the local tribal inhabitants would take a decision whether the proposed mining would be allowed at Niyamgiri hills or not.

The human rights watch dog has called upon the state government to ensure that the gram sabhas are conducted in all the villages in free and genuine manner.

Expressing concern over the presence of security personnel there, Amnesty said, the central paramilitary forces stationed in the Niyamgiri hills have resorted to intimidation of the Dongria Kondh Adivasi communities, urging them to give up their opposition to the bauxite mine plan.

“The organisation is concerned that in the run-up to consultation processes there has been intimidation of tribal communities by the companies concerned or the paramilitary forces stationed at the Niyamgiri hills. The meetings should be observed by international human rights organisations, if the communities want this, as well as being held in the presence of a judicial officer as stipulated by the Supreme Court ruling,” it added.

It may be noted that VAL had entered into a pact with the state owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) for supply of bauxite from Niyamgiri hills to its Lanjigarh refinery in Kalahandi district . However, attempts to mine bauxite were red flagged by the Union environment ministry which had scrapped the Stage-II forest clearance for the project on August 24, 2010.

Meanwhile, the state government is contemplating to seek legal view over the possibility of expanding the scope of village meeting after facing flak from the Union ministry of tribal affairs (MoTA) and green activists, who are opposed to the idea of holding the gram sabhas in only 12 villages.

Mother Mary statue in tribal attire stirs row in Jharkhand

Kelly Kislaya

RANCHI: The statue of Mother Mary wearing a red border sari and holding Jesus Christ in a way tribal women of Jharkhand hold their babies, by tying them to a white cloth, has been creating controversies in the city for the past few days. A procession was taken out by the Sarna society against this statue on Monday.

The statue was unveiled by Cardinal Telesphor P Toppo in a church at Singpur village in Dhurwa recently.

Dharmguru (priest) of Sarna society Bandhan Tigga said, “Anybody can wear a white sari with red border but making Mother Marry wear it seems to be a tactic to convert the Sarna tribals into Christianity. Mother Mary was a foreigner and showing her as a tribal woman is definitely not correct.”

The Sarnas worship Mother Nature or Maa Sarna. Tigga said the Christians are trying to establish Mother Mary as Maa Sarna to confuse the people of Sarna society. “Red border means a lot in Sarna dharm. Our women wear white sari with red border during auspicious times. If the idol of Mother Mary is shown in the getup of a tribal woman then 100 years from now people will think that Mother Mary was a tribal from Jharkhan” he said.

Sarna society is demanding the removal of that particular statue. Tigga said, “We do not want any kind of conflict between the two communities. All we want is that either the statue should be removed or the attire should be changed so that Mother Mary doesn’t look like a tribal woman. If it is not done then we will intensify the protest.”

While talking to a section of media a week ago, Cardinal Telesphor P Toppo, (who is now in Rome) said the controversy is a result of politics.

“It is a policy of divide and rule. Elections are coming up and there are some people who are acting to get advantage. They want a conflict between Christians and non Christians,” he said.

The Cardinal also said they (tribal Christians) have equal rights on the sari with red border like the Sarna community.

He said, “Who are we to convert anybody to Christianity? L K Advani studied from a Christian missionary school but did he convert? Even Jairam Ramesh studied at St Xavier’s School Doranda but he did not convert.”

He added, “We are tribals by birth but we chose to convert. There is no difference between us and the Sarnas.”

Tribals demonstrate in Koraput

Villagers are suffering from tuberculosis and various skin diseases due to release of dust particles by cement factory

Alleging that dust particles released by a cement factory situated at Ampabali in Odisha’s Koraput district is polluting the atmosphere, tribals staged dharna at the factory.

Villagers of Ampaballi and Golur panchayat sat on dharna infront of the company’s main gate on Monday and yesterday demanding immediate remedial measures.

“The industry has polluted the entire environment in the area. Villagers are suffering from tuberculosis and various skin diseases due to the release of dust particles by the factory,” alleged Boda Siranjibi of Ambapali village.

“At present, the factory has a 10 year old pollution control system, which was prescribed by the then government. We have bought modern equipment and its installation will be completed by end-August”, a senior company official said.

He said a sizeable number of locals have been employed in the factory.

 

SCs, STs to have independent panels: CM

HYDERABAD Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday reiterated that there would be independent commissions for SCs and STs.

Replying to a debate on SC/ST Sub Plan legislation in the legislative council, the chief minister said that the idea behind splitting the SC/ST commission into two independent commissions was to reach benefits to all the sub-castes of SCs and STS effectively.

As there were only six members in the composite commission, justice remained elusive to several sub-castes. “The bill seeking to split the present commission has been tabled in the Assembly and in about two to three days, it would be discussed in the council too,” he said.

Denying that he had accorded legal protection to the SC and ST sub plan funds with an eye on Dalit and tribal votes, the chief minister said his government never looked at electoral prospects whenever it was doing something beneficial to a section.

“In fact it is the wont of the Telugu Desam party to try to derive political benefit from everything it does,” he said, adding that reaching the SCs and STs was the dream of the former prime minister Indira Gandhi. That is why we are calling the sub-plan legislation as fulfilment of Indiramma Kalalu.”