Rahul Gandhi backs tribals in Vedanta war
Bhubaneswar: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has backed the tribals’ cause in Orissa’s Niyamgiri hills, which is the hotbed of the Vedanta controversy.
This is the place where UK-based Vedanta group has set up a refinery unit. Rahul’s visit comes two days after the Centre refused to give an environment clearance to Vedanta's bauxite mining project.
"I have come to Niyamgiri to congratulate the tribals for protecting their god, protecting the Niyamgiri hills. I am your soldier in Delhi. Whenever the tribals of Niyamgiri will need me, I will be there for you," Rahul said. The Gandhi scion said development is important but it should be done after listening to the poor and the tribals.
"Development does not mean curbing the poor, the tribals and the backward. We are for development, but we will never curb the voice of the people," he said.
Rahul said the tribals of Niyamgiri were being crushed. "The tribals were being crushed here. What happened in Niyamgiri is not against development. Voices of tribals were being suppressed and these voices were heard in Delhi. You have saved your land yourself," he said.
"My religion says all are one. The tribal youth and women who came to meet me told me their god is being snatched away from them. They told me they are fighting a battle in Niyamgiri to save the hills, which they call their god," he said.
The Congress general secretary said the decision was not against development, but about development. "This victory is yours. This is the victory of the tribals," Rahul said.
He reiterated the promise made in 2004 that the government of the poor and the common man would come at the Centre and they had shown that.
But was Vedanta denied mining permission over violation of environment and forest laws or is the company stuck in a political crossfire between the state and the Centre?
In March 2008, Rahul visited Lanjigarh and expressed his solidarity with the Dongriya Kondhs who have been opposing the Vedanta mines. He is back in 2010.
The timing of Rahul's visit, just two days after Jairam Ramesh's ban on Vedanta's mining, has prompted the Orissa government to cry foul.
Naveen Patnaik, Orissa chief minister, said: "I hope politics is not played over this issue. This was the first and the biggest investment in Kalahandi and is needed for the development of the state."
In the past 10 years, the tribal vote bank of the Congress has eroded in favour of the BJD. Many believe Rahul's visit to Langigarh is to revive this tribal vote bank. The Congress, of course, denies the allegation.
"This has been possible due to Sonia Gandhi's soft corner for the tribals and Rahul Gandhi, who had promised to take up their cause three years ago," said Bhakta Charan Das, a Congress MP.
As for the tribals of Lanjigarh, who have been opposing the mine for almost five years, the environment ministry's order is a welcome reprieve.
To counter Rahul's tribal rally, the BJD is planning to organise a similar rally at the same place next week. It's clear no political party wants to alienate the tribals in order to please Vedanta.
Vedanta has made it very clear that it has already invested $ 5.4 billion in the aluminum project in Orissa and there is no question of the company pulling out of the state.
But the big question is if Vedanta does not get its bauxite from the controversial Niyamgiri hills, will the Orissa government oblige to provide alternate source of bauxite to the company?
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