green activists in India are celebrating
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Iggy
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Halting Vedanta bauxite project is tribals' victory: Rahul
Two days after the central government rejected environment clearance to the UK-based Vedanta Group's bauxite mining project in Orissa, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed it "a victory of tribals".
The Congress general secretary was on Thursday addressing a rally near Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa's Kalahandi district, where Vedanta has set up a refinery unit.
The young MP reached the venue to a rousing welcome from tribals. Niyamgiri was the epicentre of tribal protests against Vedanta's bauxite mining project, which was refused clearance by Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
"I was impressed by this non-violent struggle. This is a victory of tribals. You saved your land and your religion. I did what I could but this is your victory, not mine. I am your soldier in Delhi. I congratulate you for your struggle. I will always be with you," declared Rahul.
Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses people in Niyamgiri.
He also said that the decision against Vedanta was not against development as it does not mean usurping people's rights. Attacking the Naveen Patnaik government in the state, he said Congress-ruled states provide better compensation to locals for land acquisition.
"This (agitation against mining project) is not anti-development. Your struggle was about development. We are also for it but we do development without doing injustice to dalits and tribals. Development does not mean robbing people of there assets," Rahul said.
On Thursday, all roads in Kalahandi led to Niyamgiri Hills as villagers lined up with posters of Rahul. The Gandhi scion was in Lanjigarh just two years ago during his Bharat Darshan programme.
"Two years back I was told about the Niyamgiri struggle. I was told by tribals that our land is being taken and mountain, which is God to us, being broken. When you spoke about your God, I also thought about my religion. My religion is that everyone is equal and I will fight with anyone who is being oppressed," Rahul said.
Even the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is not taking the Congress onslaught lying down. The party held rallies in Bhubaneswar and Jagatsinghpur to protest the "Centre's attempt to stop investment in Orissa".
But Rahul insisted that his views on land acquisition were clear. Recently, when the farmers in western Uttar Pradesh were protesting "unfair compensation" for their acquired land, he had taken a delegation of peasants to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought an amendment to the land acquisition law.
Halting Vedanta bauxite project is tribals' victory: Rahul: India : India Today
---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------
^^ good way to win tribal peoples heart
Two days after the central government rejected environment clearance to the UK-based Vedanta Group's bauxite mining project in Orissa, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed it "a victory of tribals".
The Congress general secretary was on Thursday addressing a rally near Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa's Kalahandi district, where Vedanta has set up a refinery unit.
The young MP reached the venue to a rousing welcome from tribals. Niyamgiri was the epicentre of tribal protests against Vedanta's bauxite mining project, which was refused clearance by Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
"I was impressed by this non-violent struggle. This is a victory of tribals. You saved your land and your religion. I did what I could but this is your victory, not mine. I am your soldier in Delhi. I congratulate you for your struggle. I will always be with you," declared Rahul.
Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses people in Niyamgiri.
He also said that the decision against Vedanta was not against development as it does not mean usurping people's rights. Attacking the Naveen Patnaik government in the state, he said Congress-ruled states provide better compensation to locals for land acquisition.
"This (agitation against mining project) is not anti-development. Your struggle was about development. We are also for it but we do development without doing injustice to dalits and tribals. Development does not mean robbing people of there assets," Rahul said.
On Thursday, all roads in Kalahandi led to Niyamgiri Hills as villagers lined up with posters of Rahul. The Gandhi scion was in Lanjigarh just two years ago during his Bharat Darshan programme.
"Two years back I was told about the Niyamgiri struggle. I was told by tribals that our land is being taken and mountain, which is God to us, being broken. When you spoke about your God, I also thought about my religion. My religion is that everyone is equal and I will fight with anyone who is being oppressed," Rahul said.
Even the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is not taking the Congress onslaught lying down. The party held rallies in Bhubaneswar and Jagatsinghpur to protest the "Centre's attempt to stop investment in Orissa".
But Rahul insisted that his views on land acquisition were clear. Recently, when the farmers in western Uttar Pradesh were protesting "unfair compensation" for their acquired land, he had taken a delegation of peasants to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought an amendment to the land acquisition law.
Halting Vedanta bauxite project is tribals' victory: Rahul: India : India Today
---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 PM ----------
^^ good way to win tribal peoples heart
pmukherjee
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How is this going to impact economic development in India? Aluminum production? Long term effect in manufacturing sector - aerospace, automobile? Or will it have no effect at all?
Gene
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this is not a good move...
this is congress govt.plan to comeback to odisha's politics.
No adibasi will be affected by this project,& their only chance to re unite with the main stream is indeed lost.
This vote bank politics must be stop.Odisha needs industrialisation not hordes of poor people to run after politician.
this is congress govt.plan to comeback to odisha's politics.
No adibasi will be affected by this project,& their only chance to re unite with the main stream is indeed lost.
This vote bank politics must be stop.Odisha needs industrialisation not hordes of poor people to run after politician.
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