Dongria tribals living on the hills of Niyamgiri on Thursday welcomed the SC verdict, which has empowered them to take a decision on the mining of bauxite from the hills.
?We would not allow Vedanta to destroy the hills for bauxite,? Dadi Sikaka of Dangamati, a small village tucked on the slope of the Niyamgiri hills, told FE over phone. Sikaka said the tribals would lay their life rather than giving away the hill for destruction by Vedanta. Informed by the politicians and NGOs active in the region about the outcome of the court battle, the villagers are now preparing for a showdown in the gram sabha. Lada Sikaka, the leader of the near extinct primitive tribal group, said that this time the villagers would assert themselves in the gram sabha. He said that meetings have been convened in villages such as Lakhpadar and Fakeru to discuss about the court order.
Sikaka said the state government officials in connivance with the company officials had fabricated gram sabha certificates that enabled the company to get the forest clearances. Now, under the supervision of the Orissa high court representative, the gram sabha is expected to be conducted in fair manner.
?Given the mood of the villagers, the gram sabha would decide against the mining project,? said Maundi Barika, a local TV journalist working for OTV. The Dongria tribals worship their deity Dharinipenu on the hill top. Mining bauxite from the hill top would destroy their holy place. So, obviously, the villagers would oppose the project in the gram sabhas, he asserted.
However, NGOs active in the area fear Maoists, who have infested the area in recent years, may have the final say. If for some reason or other the Maoists back the company, it would be very difficult for the villagers to defy their diktat, the NGOs feel.
The convenor of Lok Sakta Abijan, Prafulla Samantray, an environmentalist on whose petition the fate of the Niyamgiri mining project was sealed, has welcomed the verdict, stating that the apex court has imposed its faith in the gram sabhas.
The Supreme Court verdict has shocked Vedanta Aluminium as well as the Orissa government. While the state government spokespersons are scurrying for cover, the company officials are eluding media queries. ? We are waiting for the court order to come,? said CM Naveen Patnaik. His steel and mines minister Rajani Kanta Singh said, ?We will analyse the court order before forming our opinion.?