Politicising Niyamgiri issue

The Statesman, Jan 29, 2009

BHAWANIPATNA, Jan. 28: The human chain formed to protest against the proposed mining of Niyamgiri hills yesterday turned out to be political show with Congress leader Mr Bhakta Charan Das addressing the gathering on political lines.
Till date the anti-mining activists had taken pride in being a non-political outfit. The Sachetan Nagarik Manch, Nyamgiri Surakshya Parishad and Green Kalahandi were all considered to be above petty politics.
Mr Das had been a late entrant to the movement and even on a political front it was others like Mr Lalatendu Bidhyadhar Mohapatra and Mr Debasis Mohanty (Congress MLAs) who had initiated the activism.
Sensing an opportunity, Mr Das who has lost the Kalahandi LS elections on three successive occasions, jumped into the band wagon to ostensibly to revive his sagging political fortunes.
He managed to rope in Mr Srikant Jena another Congress leader whose political future was as bleak as that of Mr Das.
Mr Das managed to carry the Dogria tribe of Niyamgiri and present them before Mr Rahul Gandhi and other AICC leaders.
Yesterday, Mr Das was at the centre stage of the protest meeting. He hurled accusations at the state government and VAL and alleged that the duo were out to destroy Niyamgiri hills.
Most of the people were taken by surprise when Mr Das reportedly exhorted the gathering to favour the Congress.