URGENT ALERT (December 2 2006)

URGENT ALERT (December 2 2006)

Outburst of Violence in Proposed Bauxite Mining Area, Visakahpatnam, India

The Jindal South West and its coterie of local mining contractors have increased the pressure on tribal communities opposing the proposed bauxite mining project. They are instigating surrounding villages with false promises and bribery, to get violent against the tribals in whose village the project is to be set up. There is tension building here with police and company people visiting the village and threatening them.

In order to hold a meeting and give support to the local campaign yesterday, a team of Samata activists went to Nimmlapadu village which is fighting against the proposed mine and has battled for the last 15 years even after the historic Supreme Court judgement. The team was accompanied by a group of teachers from Denmark who have come to learn about the injustice in the mining area.

Upon instigation from contractors and company people, some tribals from the downstream village descended on them and became violent. They beat up the people opposing the project and blocked the road preventing the vehicle and our team from leaving the area. Many people were injured in the conflict that errupted and our team is still caught inside the villages. We have somehow managed to get the team from Denmark out of the area and they are still on their way to Visakhapatnam. We still do not have information about our team and vehicle.

Samata,
Visakhapatnam