Niyamgiri: Tribals struggle for existence

merinews, Nov 26, 2008

Sixty per cent of the minerals in India are exported to different countries for foreign currencies. It is true that industrialization and mining are required for the development of the country. But why the government is not interested in other aspects?.

THE NIYAMGIRI hill is a landmark of Kalahandi district in the western part of Orissa. More than eight thousand Dangria Kandh communities and many more tribal (adivasis) communities have been living here since decades. There is lack of basic amenities in this area such as education, medical facility, etc. No doctors go there due to its remote location. These tribal people are heavily dependent on the Niyamgiri Hills for their livelihood. There are plenty of medicinal herbs which these tribals have been using for years. They use it for medicinal purpose as well as for selling it outside to earn their livelihood. Many natural waterfalls are also there in the Niyamgiri Hills which is responsible for the very existence of more than 30 different varieties of species. In the last 60 years after independence, neither the state government nor any central agencies came to the rescue of this Kandh community.


Niyamgiri is the source of two major rivers of Kalahandi district - Nagabali and Bansadhara. Farmers of Kalahandi are also dependent upon these rivers for cultivation. These rivers have been helping the people of Kalahandi for decades. People around the Niyamgiri Hill are highly dependent upon this hill for their livelihood. They work hard throughout the day to meet their food requirements and happily sing and dance in the evening. The local people feel proud of these tribals as they have been greatly influenced by the culture and traditions of that area. For them, the Niyamgiri Hill is not just a hill full of medicinal trees, but their mother whom they have worshiped for ages. They call it ’sacred Niyamgiri’.

But now with the rapid mining of the sacred Niyamgiri Hills, the existence of these century old tribals is under challenge. They have been thrown out of this area forcefully in the name of development and mines. The Sterlite Industries (India) Limited (SIIL), an Indian subsidiary, fully owned by the Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) has started mining of bauxite in these hills.

The government gave clearance for diversion of 660.749 hectares of forest land for mining of bauxite at the Niyamgiri Hills. The length of Niyamgiri hill range is about 20 kms and it is spread over an area of about 250 square kms. Out of this, the mining lease is given for an area of seven sq km, while the actual mining activity will be taken up over 3.5 sq km. It may be noted, 118 families belonging to seven villages were displaced to make way for the refinery project at Lanjigarh. But the total size of affected population, which includes people who lost their land for the project, is 1236 families belonging to 27 villages. Apart from that, many tribals are yet to get their compensation. Many of them are even forcibly thrown out of their land with the help of local authorities.

Sixty per cent of the minerals in India are exported to different countries for foreign currencies. It is true that industrialization and mining are required for the development of the country.

But why the government is not interested in the other aspects? Why are we trying to destroy the natural environment around Niyamgiri Hills in a minute? Why no one is able to think that steps like this will make the water of Nagabali and Bansadhara not usable for cultivation? Where the farmers will go? Why no one is able to understand that by allowing the companies to take minerals from Niyamgiri, someone’s mother is getting killed. Niyamgiri Hill is the mother for the people of Kalahandi. But no one is asking the right questions. The question is what has been done for the safety of the nature, what has been done for the safety of the environment?

So much is invested in KBK to improve the life of the people, is this not sufficient for the government of Orissa, which is going to sell its natural wealth to the companies? We should remember that the multinationals are here to earn, they are not here to make charity. If they were so concerned about this place, why would they move ahead and build the hospital and university in Puridistrict, nearly 500 kms from Kalahandi? Minerals will be taken from Kalahandi. People of Kalahandi will suffer from diseases, but the hospital and university will be built somewhere else. Can anyone justify this? Kalahandi also needs a central university. It also needs a hospital.