Scrap POSCO project!

I strongly condemn the ongoing assault on the anti-POSCO protesters by the Orissa Government. Two days before the world celebrated environment day on June 3rd, 17 people were arrested and beaten by the police for obstructing land acquisition in Kujanga, in Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa. This horrific attack comes at a time when two cases by the villagers are pending in the Orissa High Court, and when there is a criminal complaint against the District Collector for lying and fabricating the evidence that was the basis of the clearance to take the land. It also comes after three official committees found the land grab to be illegal and in violation of the Forest Rights Act, and after it was exposed by international experts that the project has no benefits for the local or national economy while providing a minimum profit of Rs. 1,95,000 crores to POSCO. After arresting and beating people, more than one thousand police surrounded the area and laid siege to those protesting. Villagers of Dhinkia and Gobindpur who are keeping a day and night vigil to prevent forcible land acquisition for the Rs 52,000 crore integrated POSCO steel project, fear that the police might unleash a mid-night action any time similar to what happened at the Ramlila grounds few days ago. More than 20 platoons of police are currently stationed at the mouth of these villages and any ill-conceived move to forcibly acquire land or evict the protesters might lead to bloodshed. The Orissa State Government is planning to acquire more than 3400 hectares of forest land in Dhinkia and Gobindpur villages for the project in violation of the Forest Rights Act. Clearly the State government, with the support of the Centre, is not concerned about the law, the people, the environment or development. Yet again we see the use of police terror to loot our people for private profit. No words of condemnation are sufficient for this heinous crime.