UPDATE FROM POSCO PRATIRODH SANGRAM SAMITI AS ON 20TH MAY 2013.

From: Anivar Aravind <anivar.aravind@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 7:25 AM
Subject: [OdishaConcerns] Fwd: UPDATE FROM POSCO PRATIRODH SANGRAM SAMITI AS ON 20TH MAY 2013.



Dear Friends,

On May 11, 2013 our leader Sri Abhaya Sahoo was arrested in a preplanned
strategy for which the police had planted several cases implicating him.
Their conspiracy to destabilize the movement did not work. From the next
day following his arrest our people started gathering in hundreds of
number. Now it has become a daily activity. The number is increasing every
day as a result of which POSCO has not been able to acquire an inch of land
in our villlage.  Our protest is becoming stronger despite the illegal
arrest of our leader. However the district administration is continuously
making a false propaganda as if they have already acquired our land. The
POSCO and the administration are in a habit of spreading lies and confusion
among the public outside our area.

From 16th May 2013 onwards, A state wide platform POSCO Pratirodh Jan
Sangharsh Manch (PPJSM)  have started a demonstration for indefinite period
at Lower PMG, Bhubaneswardemanding immediate scrapping of the project and
release of PPSS leaders Abhay Sahoo,  Laxman Paramanik ( victim of the bomb
attack), Promod Das and two others  from jail.

Though different groups and organizations across the nation have condemned
the undemocratic and ill motivated moves of the state government (Pl see
the annexure below), all these have little impact on a state which is
perpetuating its tyranny having been inspired by the union government's
love for POSCO that has resulted in i. atrocities on our peaceful
protesters, ii. uncalled for and illegal arrests, police cases and iii.
unleashing of a reign of terror by using private goons. Every night our
villagers go to sleep with a fear in mind that their forces and goons may
come and capture our land. They want the people and their solidarity groups
to get tired and resign to fate. We are determined we will continue the
fight. I would request you also to support our cause despite POSCO
propaganda.



I shall let you know the further developments.



Your continuous support and co-operation will always inspire us to fight in
the face of adversities.



Prashant Paikaray

Spokesperson, POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.

Mobile no - 09437571547

E- mail- prashantpaikaray@gmail.com













Annex -1- Joint Statement on The Arrest Of Comrade Abhay Sahoo, President
Of PPSS
Annex- 2 - Mumbai- Protest the Arrest of Abhay Sahoo, May 16th- 5pm

Annex *– 3  *'Will fight POSCO till last breath' – An article by * *Ashis
Senapati,  Down To Earth

Annex – 4 HOTLINE ASIA, SPECIAL URGENT APPEALS-* *Free Mr Abhay Sahoo and
Uphold Rights Of Peaceful Dissenters against POSCO – Orissa, India



*Annex -1*

*JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF COMRADE ABHAY SAHOO, PRESIDENT OF POSCO
PRATIRODH SANGRAM SAMITY*

We the undersigned are extremely appalled and outraged by the arbitrary
arrest of Comrade Abhay Sahoo at Bhubaneshwar airport by Odisha Police.
This outright despicable patently illegal act was made to appease the Posco
company's blood sucking appetite to drain the life blood from Odisha, it's
land, water, minerals, forests and culture. Millions of people are killed
in false encounters, jailed, tortured and externed to suppress the peoples
struggle to save their land, forests, mines and undemocratic aspirations to
freedom and right to self-determination.

The men, women and children have been waging a heroic battle against Naveen
Patnaik since 2005 to save their land, water, seashore, rivers, field,
livelihood habitat and culture. The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik
the sick imperialist bootlicker has unleashed the most brutal form of
repression against the struggling people led by Posco Pratirodh Sangram
Samitee.

This comprador cobra Naveen Patnaik on behalf of his imperial masters bared
his fangs again by arresting Comrade Abhay Sahoo. This favurite butler of
Uncle Sam Naveen Patnaik from the day one of the heroic anti-POSCO struggle
has created suffocating blockade around the anti-POSCO struggle villages
turning them into virtual concentration camps.  Hundreds of people were
arbitrarily arressted, false criminal cases are imposed on almost 90% of
the people in the area.  Such is the repressive stranglehold that people of
the area cannot go out for marketing, marriages or medical emergencies.
This lackey of imperialism Naveen Patnaik is so eager to please his
imperial masters that he has been overactive in brutally repressing the
people's resistance to save their lands, livelihoods, mines, forests,
waters, culture and democratic aspirations. The trail of blood runs from
Kashipur to Kalinganagar, Narayanpatna to POSCO, Nyamgiri to South Odisha.

In the neoliberal era the Indian ruling classes have bared their fangs to
facilitate the imperial loot of the natural resources in this country. The
caste, class, and patriarchal nature of the Indian state is bared every
second in this country.  On the orders of its bosses in Washington, it has
unleashed the most cruellest form of white terror in POSCO, Nandigram,
Lalgarh, Chattisgarh, Dandkarnya, Telangana, North East and Kashmir.  Only
for the super profits of national and International big business. In fact
what we are witnessing today is obscene display of sadistic and ruthless
twenty first century primitive accumulation. In this process of violent
accumulation through dispossession millions of people are dispossessed from
their land, livelihood, culture and commons to join the rank of the
reserved army of labor who fill in the ranks of the urban underclass to be
equally exploited by the urban elite. This sick clown of the imperial
circus Manmohan Singh whose intellectual training was done in the Bretton
Wood institutions, as soon as he became the prime minister to declare a war
on the Indian people, to hand their lands, waters and mines for imperialist
exploitation. He declared the poorest of the poor in this country the
heroic adivasis who are resisting to defend their livelihoods as the
biggest internal threat. Another henchman of the Wall Street Chidambaram
unleashed a cruel war on the adivasis named as Operation Greenhunt. In the
process they have killed, tortured, maimed and imprisoned thousands of
adivasis and working people. During the combing operations women are
molested and raped and their jewelry looted. All this to play into the
super profits of the hungry finance capital and predatory
industrialization!

However, the people of India have refused to cow down in front of the
Indian state. There is a fierce resistance going on from Dandakarnya to
Jangalamahal, from POSCO to Nagari, from Jehanabad to Ranchi. In fact we
salute the heroic men women and children of the anti-Posco struggle
villages, which have become an advanced outpost of the anti-imperialist
resistance in this country.  We condemn

1)    We condemn the arrest of Comrade Abhay Sahoo and demand his immediate
release

2)    Withdrawal of all false cases of the people of Antiposco struggle
villages

3)    Scrapping of the POSCO and all the MOUs in Orissa

4)    Resignation of Naveen Patnaik who has unleashed brutal repression on
the struggling people of Orissa

1.      PUDR

2.      JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION

3.      AISA

4.      STUDENTS FOR RESISTANCE

5.      KAVITA KRISHNAN - CPIML LIBERATION

6.      DHRU NARAYAN - GENERAL SECRETARY CPIML(PCC)

7.      SHUBHAS GATADE - CONVENOR NEW SOCIALIST INITIATIVE

8.      JAGDISH C CHANDRA - NEW SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE

9.      AMITADUYTI KUMAR - WORKING PRESIDENT

10.  VIMOCHANA BANGALORE

11.  APDR, CALCUTTA

12.  DR. ANAND TELTUMBDE - CPDR MUMBAI

13.  ANIRBAN KAR - SANHATI DELHI

14.  SUMATI PANIKAR - VIPLAV SANSKRITIK MANCH DELHI

15.  RAKESH RANJAN - NAVROJ DELHI

16.  NAYAN JYOTI - KRANTIKARI NAVJAN SABHA

17.  WILFORD D COSTA - INSAF

18.  ASHOK CHAUDHARY - NFFPW

19.  SWATI BIRLA - SANHAT MUMBAI

20.  KIRAN SHAHEEN - WOMEN FOR WATER DEMOCRACY DELHI

21.  RANJANA PADHI - WOMEN AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE & STATE REPRESSION (WSS)

22.  KAVEN RAJARAMAN – WSS, BANGALORE

23.  ASIT DAS - POSCO PRATIRODH SOLIDARITY DELHI

24.  SANDEEP SINGH - AISA

25.  MUKTA SRIVASTAVA - NAPM

26.  SANDEEP PATTNAIK - NCAS

27.  PRADEEP ESTERVES - CONTEXT INDIA, BANGALORE

28.  P. K. SUNDARAM - RESEARCH SCHOLAR JNU

29.  USMAN - RESEARCH SCHOLAR JNU

30.  SHESHANK YADAV - RESEARCH SCHOLAR JNU

31.  SHARANYA NAYAK - KARUPUT, ODISHA

32.  SANKAR RAY - JOURNALIST

33.  MAHTAB ALAM - HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVISTS DELHI

34.  PIYOLI SWATIJA - SAMAJWADI JAN PARISHAD

35.  KIRITY ROY - MASUM, KOLKATA

36.  ABHISHEK SRIVASTAVA - JOURNALIST DELHI

37.  AFSAR JAFRI - FOCUS ON GLOBAL SOUTH

38.  TOM KUCHEERZ - ECOLOGIST EN ACCION, SPAIN

39.  VIKEK SUNDRA - SOCIAL ACTIVIST MUMBAI

40.  JITENDRA CHAHAR - SANGRASH SAMVAD

41.  BHUPEN SINGH - RESEARCH SCHOLAR JNU

42.  PREETI SAMPAT - SOCIAL ACTIVIST DELHI

43.  VIDYA DINKAR - CITIZENS FORUM MANGALORE

44.  DR RURMINI RAO - SECUNDARABAD

45.  DR MALEM MINGTHOUJA - CAMPAIGN FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY, MANIPUR

46.  PRAVEEN - RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DELHI UNIVERSITY

47.  KAMAL MITRA CHENOY - TEACHER JNU

48.  ANURADHA CHENOY - TEACHER JNU

49.  SUMA JOSSON

50.  DR S.P. UDAYKUMAR - PEOPLES MOVEMENT AGAINST NUCLEAR ENERGY, KOODAN
KULAM

51.  SOURAV BANERJEE - POET AND ACTIVIST

52.  RAHUL FOUNDATION

53.  ARYAMA- TEACHER DELHI UNIVERSITY

54.  ANAND KRISHRAJ - NEW MATIRIALIST JNU

55.  DHAWAJENDRA DHAWAL

56.  ARUN KHOTE - DALIT MEDIA WATCH

57.  SHASUL ISLAM - NISHANT NATY MANCH, DELHI

58.  NEELIMA SHARMA - NISHANT NATY MANCH, DELHI

59.  JAWED NAQVI - JOURNALIST DELHI

60.  TAPAN KUMAR BOSE - DELHI

61.  SUDHA BHARADWAJ - GENERAL SECRETARY, CHATTISGARH PUCL

62.  RAMAKANT BANJARE - CHATTISGARH MUKTI MORCHA, EDITOR FOR A PEOPLES
DEMOCRACY

63.  TRIPTA WAHI - ACADEMICIAN DELHI UNIVERSITY

64.  NEERAJ JAIN - LOKAYAT, PUNE

65.  PEEYUSH PANT - EDITOR LOK SAMVAD

66.  SHEELU FRANCIS - WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE, TAMILNADU

67.  SUNDARI PERUMAL - TAMILNADU RESOURCE

68.  LAKSHMI - KALAMIJIVAN WOMEN'S TEAM FARMING ASSOCIATION

69.  GUMAN SINGH - HIMALAYA NITI ABHIYAN, HIMACHAL PRADESH

70.  DEBAL DEB - KOLKATA

71.  DR MIRA DUTTA - KOLKATA EDITOR COUNTER CURRENTS

72.  MANISHA SETHI - JAMIA TEACHERS SOLIDARITY DELHI

73.  CHITTARANJNA SINGH - NATIONAL SECRETARY PUCL

74.  DHIRAJ SENGUPTA - GENERAL SECRETARY ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION OF
DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS (APDE)

75.  RAJENDRA KUMAR SAIL - EX. PRESIDENT CHATTISGARH PUCL, WEST BENGAL


Anex- 2


*Mumbai- Protest the Arrest of Abhay Sahoo, May 16th- 5pm

*Friends,**


The men, women and children of Odisha have been waging a heroic battle for
decades to save their land, water, seashore, rivers, field, livelihood
habitat and culture. In return they have been punished with firing, state
violence and dispossession. This is the sordid saga of Odisha.


The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has continued to unleash the
most brutal form of repression against the struggling people led by Posco
Pratirodh Sangram Samitee. Arrest of Abhay Sahoo at this juncture forebodes
unprecedented repression. It follows suffocating blockade around the
anti-POSCO struggle villages turning them into virtual concentration camps.
It is in line with lawless destruction of people's livelihood. Hundreds of
people have been arbitrarily arrested, false criminal cases are imposed on
almost 90% of the people in the area. Such is the repressive stranglehold
that people of the area cannot go out for marketing, marriages or medical
emergencies.


And all this is when there is no valid MoU or environmental clearance for
the project.


However, the people have refused to cow down in front of the Indian state.
There is a fierce resistance to land and resource grab from people
everywhere. We salute the heroic men women and children of the anti-Posco
struggle villages, who have become an advanced outpost of the
anti-imperialist resistance in this country.


We condemn the arrest of Comrade Abhay Sahoo.


We demand


1) immediate release of Comrade Abhay Sahoo and all arrested agitators


2) withdrawal of all false cases of the people of Antiposco struggle
villages


3) withdrawal of police barricade in POSCO area and compensation for the
losses suffered by the people due to forcible destruction of their property


4) scrapping of the POSCO and all the MOUs in Orissa


5) resignation of Naveen Patnaik who has unleashed brutal repression on the
struggling people of Orissa and is acting as an agent of foreign capital
rather than a Chief Minister looking after the well being of the people of
the state.

*.*

 You can see the video of protest in this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaSGWSRstd0&feature=youtu.be**

* *

* *

* *

* *







Anex - 3


'Will fight POSCO till last breath'

Author(s):

Ashis Senapati

Issue Date:

2013-5-17

Published on *Down To Earth* (http://www.downtoearth.org.in)



Kin of anti-POSCO leader killed in bomb explosion in Gobindapur village
resolves to fight on

[image: Jharana, dressed in yellow, daughter of slain leader Narahari
Sahoo, has no means of looking after and supporting her family]Jharana,
dressed in yellow, daughter of slain leader Narahari Sahoo, has no means of
looking after and supporting her familyTwenty-three-year-old Jharana Sahoo
is filled with feelings of revenge. She cannot forget the sight of the
mangled body of her father who died in a bomb blast on March
2<http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/bomb-kills-4-protesters-posco-steel-project-site>
[1].
Narahari Sahoo was a leader of the
anti-POSCO<http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/search/site/POSCO>
[2] movement
at Gobindapur village in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district. He was killed
along with three people in a blast when those promoting South Korean steel
company POSCO's steel project, hurled a crude bomb into the backyard of the
house of a resident in Dhinkia gram panchayat. Dhinkia is the centre of the
anti-POSCO movement.

"My father had paan (betel vine) farms. Last month, police destroyed them
because he was a part of the movement," she says. "He dreamt of making me
an officer and spent Rs 2 lakh on my education at the Institute of
Professional Studies and Research in Cuttack. Now, I have to shoulder the
responsibility of my younger brother who is still in Class XII. My mother
has taken ill after my father died. How will I arrange money for all these?"

"I will either kill the enemies or myself," she says. Jharana has joined
the Posco Pratirodhaka Sangram Samiti (PPSS) to drive the company out of
the state. She blames the anti-people policies of Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik for her family's plight. "He is dancing to the tune of big
industrialists and is least concerned about the common people. In the
coming elections, we will teach him a lesson," she says.

"My father sacrificed his life to protect our land from the avaricious eyes
of POSCO and the government. I will not allow either POSCO or the
government to acquire our land," she says. "My heart still burns with anger
and anguish. I will fight them till my last breath."

[image: Marty's tower commemorates Tapan Mandal's sacrifice. He died in a
similar blast in 2008]Marty's tower commemorates Tapan Mandal's sacrifice.
He died in a similar blast in 2008

The death of three anti-Posco leaders has not weakened the movement. In
fact, they have strengthened PPSS because more and more people are joining
it now, she says.

*Families of other victims bemoan fate*

Tarun Madal and Manas Jena, the two other leaders who died in the bomb
attack on March 2have also left behind families who have no one to look
after them. Madal is survived by his 26-year-old wife and a two-year-old
daughter. His father,  septuagenarian Narayan Mandal, lost his eldest son
Tapan alias Dula Mandal in a bomb attack by pro-Posco people five years
ago. On March 2, his younger son, Tarun, was also killed. "I have been
spending sleepless nights for the past five years. Now fate has snatched my
other son as well. Their untimely deaths haunt me all the time," he says.

[image: Naran Mandal who lost both his sons, Tapan and Tarun, in bomb
blasts allegedly carried out by pro-POSCO people, is a haunted man]Naran
Mandal who lost both his sons, Tapan and Tarun, in bomb blasts allegedly
carried out by pro-POSCO people, is a haunted man

Mandal's sons were paan farmers. "On June 20, 2008, some pro-industry
people of the village hurled bombs at the protesters. Many were injured and
Tapan lost his life. To commemorate his sacrifice, people have built a
martyr's memorial in Gobindapur," says Manorama Khatua, a PPSS leader. The
martyr's memorial is of little consolation to Tapan's wife. "How will the
industry help me and my family? If we have to leave the area where will we
go with our children?" asks Sabita, Tapan's widow.

[image: Khema, widow of Manad Jena, cries over her loss]Khema, widow of
Manad Jena, cries over her loss

Khema Jena, 28, had married Manas Jena, also a paan farmer in Gobindapur,
five years ago. Khema cries for her husband who will never return.




*Annex - 4*

*HOTLINE ASIA*

*SPECIAL URGENT APPEALS*

*SUA130517*

* *

* *

*SUA (5) **Free Mr Abhay Sahoo and Uphold Rights*

*of Peaceful Dissenters against POSCO – Orissa, India*

* 17May 2013*





* *

*Summary*



Mr Abhay Sahoo, President of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), who has
been spearheading the anti-Posco movement for eight years, was arrested on
11 May. It is alleged that he is being falsely implicated in the March 2 bomb
blast at Dhinkia village in which three PPSS supporters were killed. His
bail petition has been rejected and he has been remanded in judicial
custody for 14 days.



We have has released several appeals in support of Orissa people's
struggles against the project of South Korea's mining giant *Pohang Steel
Company (POSCO)*, and questioning the state administration's support for it
despite the stiff resistance put up by the people. Anti-POSCO protesters
claim that both the March bomb blast and the arrest of Mr Abhay Sahoo
implicating him in the blast are part of a conspiracy to suppress the
people's right to dissent.



**** Please respond as soon as possible. ****

* *

*Action Requested*



Please write polite letters to the authorities expressing concern about the
arrest of Mr. Abhay Sahoo, and demand for his immediate release.


*Please FAX and email your letters to:*



1. Shri. Naveen Patnaik
Chief Minister, Orissa
At- Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Road, P.O.-Bhubaneswar
Dist.-Khurda, Pin-751001 (Orissa)
*Fax: +91-67-4253-5100
*E Mail: cmo@ori.nic.in

2. Debadutta Singh
Superintendent of Police
Email: dmjsp@ori.nic.in (no fax number available)

3. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110 001
*Fax: +91-11-2334-0016
*Email: chairnhrc@nic.in

*Also send copies to:
*
1. S.K. Mallick
District Collector, Jagatsinghpur
*Fax: +91-67-2422-0299*

2.  Diplomatic representatives of India in your country.

* *



*Sample Letter*

* *

*The sample letter is for your reference.  Please try to write it on your
own and avoid typing 'cc ACPP' on any part of your letter.  Please send us
copies separately, for monitoring purpose.*

* *

I am deeply concerned over the arbitrary arrest of Mr Abhay Sahoo,
President of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), who has been
spearheading the peaceful anti-POSCO struggle for eight years. It is
alleged that he has been falsely implicated in the 2 Marchbomb blast at
Dhinkia village of Jagatsinghpur District, in Orissa, in which three PPSS
supporters were killed.  According to Lakhman Parmanik, a survivor of the
blast and a supporter of the PPSS, the bomb was thrown at him and the three
victims; they were not making bombs.



I have been following the peoples' resistance against this POSCO project
and the collusion between the state administration and the POSCO management
is apparent.  Hence, both the 2 March bomb blast and the recent arrest of
Mr Abhay Sahoo implicating him in the same blast seem part of the
conspiracy to weaken people's non-violent resistance to the project. The
anti-POSCO dissenters have been subjected to violence over the years. Bombs
have been thrown at the resisting villagers by pro-POSCO criminal elements
and around 100 villagers have been shot at by the Orissa police. Further,
the villages of Govindpur and Dhinkia continue to experience an economic
blockade, under a virtual siege by the police – just because the villagers
are dissenters.



I am truly distressed that this issue is dragging on when the Dhinkia Gram
Sabha, affirming the rights provided to it under the Forest Rights Act of
2006, had already come up with a resolution rejecting the project.
Government's support for the POSCO project is also embarrassing, if not
scandalous, when the National Green Tribunal has already suspended the
environment clearance for the POSCO project. And then there is the
continual harassment of the villagers and individual leaders like Mr. Sahoo.



In this connection, I make an earnest appeal for the immediate release and
physical safety of Mr. Abhay Sahoo.  I also believe that the government is
duty-bound to give due respect for the right of the people of Govindpur and
Dhinkia villages to dissent and have freedom of movement. Above all, scrap
the POSCO project altogether.



****Thank You for Your Continued Support! ****

* *

*Background*



*See also SUA 130206(2), UA 111031(6) at http://acpp.org*

* *

The people's movement against POSCO started soon after the signing of the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between POSCO and the Orissa Government
on 22 June 2005. Since then over a hundred bombs have been thrown at the
resisting villagers by pro-POSCO criminal elements and around 100 villagers
have been shot at by the Orissa police as part of the campaign to scare and
harass the people and break their resistance.



Local leaders like Abhay Sahoo and Narayan Reddy, along with more than 1500
villagers and activists, are facing over 200 allegedly fabricated false
charges. Many villagers cannot come out of their villages even for medical
treatment due to the threat of arrests.



Locals believe that if the anti-POSCO movement is suppressed in favour of
the interests of the corporations, it will affect many similar struggles in
Orissa as well as the rest of India. Since this SEZ project is the largest
FDI investment in this country, they believe it has to be treated as a
symbol of struggle against globalization and for India's freedom.



On 2 March, four people namely Nabin Mandal (30), Narahari Sahu (52), Manas
Jena (32) and Lakhman Parmanik (46) were sitting at their usual meeting
place in the village, after their work in a nearby betel vine in Patana
village.  A powerful blast occurred that killed three people and left
Lakhman Parmanik severely injured.



A national-level fact-finding team consisting of civil liberties and
democratic organisations and individuals visited Govindapur and Dhinkia
villages of Jagatsinghpur District on 9  and 10 March, 2013, in the wake of
that bomb explosion.  Here are some of their findings:



Within hours of the incident, without any investigation, without even
visiting the site of the blast, Sri Satyabrata Bhoi, Superintendent of
Police, Jagatsinghpur, announced through the local and national media that
the blast occurred while the deceased were making a bomb.  The lone
survivor of the blast, Lakhman Parmanik, strongly refuted this accusation
by the police, saying, "bomb/s was/were thrown" at them, adding, "What gain
will I make by lying when I am on the verge of death." It was noted that
none of the police personnel reached the blast area until nearly 15 hours
after the incident.



Even before the police came and took charge of the dead bodies, land
acquisition started on the morning of 3rd of March 2013.  This would seem
to validate the hypothesis that the bomb blast was the handiwork of
pro-POSCO criminal elements who wanted to carry on land acquisition without
people's resistance. Land acquisition is the big issue in the anti-POSCO
struggle.  The proposed POSCO project in Orissa requires 2,700 acres,
scaled down from the original 4,000 acres. The government acquired 2,000
acres between 2005 and 2011. The remaining 700 acres have to be acquired
from Govindpur and Dhinkia villages but these areas are mostly forested
areas.



The village councils have passed resolutions under the Forest Rights Act
not to hand over any land for industrial purposes. The environmental
clearance issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest was already
suspended by the National Green Tribual in March 2012. The MoU between the
state of Orissa and POSCO expired in June 2011, and is yet to be
renewed.  Despite these, however, the government has been attempting to
take the land by force.  Examples of such incidence include:



(1) At 4 AM on Sunday, 3 February, nearly 400 policemen surrounded the
entry points to the villages of Govindpur and Dhinkia and they caned the
resisting villagers who had gathered at the spot. The attack injured over
25, mostly women and children. Criticism of the police action stalled the
land acquisition but at least 105 betel vines have been destroyed in
Govindpur village in the process.  This situation has gravely affected the
lives of the villagers whose livelihood depends of the betel vines.



*(2) *On 7 March, the police caned the villagers who demanded the removal
of the police camp. In the police assault, 41 villagers including 35 women
and children were injured.



The fact-finding team also reports that the families of two of the deceased
were asked by the police who visited them (midnightof 3 March) to sign an
already written statement declaring that the victims died in the process of
making the bomb. The families did not yield to the pressure.



Moreover, when Ms Kusumbati Sahu, sister-in-law of the deceased Narahari
Sahu, went to register the First Information Report (FIR) at the
Abhoychandranpur police station on the evening of 3 March, the police
refused to register the FIR. However, an FIR was registered at the same
police station, on 4 March, on the complaint of Ranjan Bardhan, an
identified pro-POSCO man, who complained against the 3 deceased, the
injured Lakhman Pramanik, Abhay Sahoo, Surendra Das and five others from
the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS).



Against this backdrop, the president of PPSS Mr. Abhaya Sahoo was arrested from
Biju Patnaik airport, on 11 May 2013. Police booked Mr. Sahoo under
sections 307 (murder), 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention)
of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3 (causing explosion likely to
endanger life) and 4 (attempt to cause explosion or for making explosive to
endanger life) of Explosive Substances Act. Police produced Sahoo in a
court at Kujang, where his bail petition was rejected and he was remanded
in judicial custody for 14 days.



At present, Mr Abhay Sahoo has been taken to the jail at Kujang
in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa. Commenting on his arrest, Mr Abhay
Sahoo has said, "The anti-land acquisition stir would get further
strengthened as my arrest is going to provide fodder to it."



In fact, over 50 cases had been filed against him at different stages of
the movement and all the cases are allegedly false and fabricated. He was
arrested in 2008 and kept in jail for 14 months.  He was again implicated
in another false case leading to his incarceration from 25 November 2011 to
14 March 2012.  Every time Mr Abhay was arrested the movement got further
strengthened and the people threw up more leaders. Hence, the district
administration and police are after him as the movement has gathered more
momentum despite severe repression.





*Justice.Peace.Solidarity*

* *

* ** *

*Terence A.G. P. Osorio*

*Coordinator*

*Sources:*



Local Sources

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-12/bhubaneswar/39202833_1_biju-patnaik-airport-posco-pratirodh-sangram-samiti-dhinkia

http://tehelka.com/forcing-the-way-for-posco/
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