Religion Reverses Mining Move

Note: I liked this article's neutrality and in-depth study, to me this is how a good reporter and journalist should make an article for the benefit of the society at large

Tathya, Aug 11, 2013
Bhubaneswar : 11/August/2013 

Religion is the opium of the people, but few understand what we exactly meant.” This million dollar statement of Karl Marx seems to have its reflections on the Gram Sabhas being conducted in the hill slope villages of Niyamgiri Hills to determine the fate of country’s most controversial mining project for Vedanta.

The state government has so far conducted 10 of the 12 gram sabhas in these villages and all such exercise have strongly opposed the proposed bauxite mining atop Niyamgiri Hills in one voice. There has been not a single person from among the 10 villages who supported the bauxite mining atop Niyamgiri Hills, considered as the Niyam Raja, the presiding deity of the local residents belonging to Dangaria, Jharania and Kutia Kanda tribes.

The tribals worship Niyam Raja as their God and they consider the entire Hills range as the places of worship even though the proposed bauxite mining is 10 kilometer away from the seat of their Hill God. The state government and the entire scientific community are of the view that bauxite mining will never affect the local ecology nor it has any impact on the religious activities of the local people. They cited such activities at Panchpatmali mines of Koraput where Nalco was mining bauxite. There is absolutely no damage in Panchpatmali area, observed geologists in a recent statement.

However, the tribal inhabitants of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts do not believe state government and scientific community even as they are told that the bauxite mining will change their socio and economic situation. They refused any kind of benefits and stick to their stand and said that they can do anything including sacrificing their lives for the protection of their Niyam Raja.

“The people in all the gram sabhas have clearly and categorically opined that their religious practice will be affected if mining is allowed atop Niyamgiri Hills,” said both the Judges who acted as Observers in Kalahandi and Rayagada district gram sabhas.

“It is religion which has stood as the hurdle before the proposed mining at Niyamgiri Hills. Had there been no religious angle to it, things would have been very easy. However, one cannot change the religious sentiments of the people,” said an independent observer adding that people who work against Vedanta Group could successfully motivate the tribals under the garb of religion to say no to mining. And they have been successful in their bid. Thanks to the religious belief of the people.

The Supreme Court’s April 18 judgment had opened a new chapter in the history of mining in the country. As the Apex Court has allowed the local tribals to take a decision through gram sabhas to decide the fate of bauxite mining at Niyamgiri, the people in other areas, particularly in Khandadhar region may oppose Posco’s proposed iron ore mining in Sundargarh district. As all the tribals have their own God in the hills, mountains, trees and nature, they could now raise the issue whenever there is any move to start mining. After Vedanta, possibly Posco could be the next victim of religious opposition to mining.

Surprisingly, the state government has been stuck in a typical situation. Despite opposition from different quarters including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti (NSS),  NGOs, and Congress MLAs & local MP, the state government decided to hold Gram Sabhas in only 12 hill slope villages. The government refused to conduct gram sabha in all the few hundred villages as demanded by others including MoTA.

It was perceived that the state government and Vedanta will motivate the residents of hill slope villages for supporting mining. But, surprisingly, none did their beat and the people have come out against the proposed mining activities at Niyamgiri Hills.

Interestingly the BJD government, which is perceived to be favoring Vedanta could not took note of the activities of NGOs, who influenced the tribals to a large extent and government’s intelligence apparatus failed as well as with political institution. The
Congress and AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was against mining at Niyamgiri hills since a long time. Even Rahul  has come out with agitating tribals and identified himself as their “Sepoy” in Delhi Durbar.

General feeling was that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has effective mechanism among the tribal population and his government can easily motivate a few hundred people living in hill slopes. However, the people opposition has confirmed that Rs 1 a kg rice has little impact on the people when it comes to their presiding deity. The people are totally opposed to mining. This is not that Naveen has lost popular mandate. But it can be said that people will not go by anyone including one who gives cheap rice for survival of their children.

In a way, one can conclude that religion is supreme and people will not hesitate to invite trouble and bad times for protection of their Dharma. Since the opponents could successfully infuse the religion into the controversy, they reaped the benefits. Therefore, Karl Marx’s statement on religion could be true to certain extent, observed political observers.

After selecting 12 villages, the government was supposed to launch a campaign to make people aware about the good impact of mining and its affect on the economy of the locals. The government could have make people understand that the mining project could also change their place of worship by developing it. It was responsibility of the government officials to give solid assurances to the people about the mining project.

On the other hand, the state government announced the dates for the gram sabhas in view of the Apex Court order while the opponents planned out strategies to reach each and every far flung village and make people aware about their religious rights. It is different matter that the people were influenced that mining activities would adversely affect their Niyam Raja.

And the state government officials made no efforts to win the hearts of the people. Whereas anti-Vedanta NGOs and opposition leaders camped in the villages and result was obvious, pointed out an activist, who worked very hard to convince the people that the mining project will harm their socio-cultural and religious interest.

So it the  religion played a major role in reversing the Odisha mining plan. But one thing is clear that for last so many years community was kept at a bay so far deciding the fate of natural resources is concerned. Now it has made a full circle and with the blessing of Supreme Court, community will have the final say on ownership of these resources. So Community is the real owner not the state government, which claims ownership on the mineral resources of the state under MMDR Act.