JOIN USHow do you feel after the victory?
It’s a great relief for us. We have been struggling hard for almost half a decade now to halt the mining project and save Niyamgiri hills. However, our struggle against Vedanta is not yet over.
Why are you against the refinery?
Vedanta has not only set up the refinery by violating the forest and environment laws, but the refinery has also become a major cause of health hazard. I know a number of villagers who have succumbed to diseases like TB only because of the pollution created by the alumina refinery. The refinery is also having a dismal record so far as providing jobs to the locals is concerned.
But some local organisations are supporting the refinery as well as the mining project in Niyamgiri?
These organisations have been set up by Vedanta and the Orissa government just to break our unity and demoralise us. But I can tell you they will not succeed in their plans as these organisations do not have the support of the local tribals. All of them will be exposed soon.
Even some of the state Congress leaders seem to have changed their stand and are in favour of running of the refinery if the raw material (bauxite) is made available to Vedanta by the Orissa government from reserves other than Niyamgiri.
Yes, we have seen the interviews given by some of the senior leaders of the state Congress. But we want complete closure of the Lanjigarh refinery. We have vowed to continue our struggle till the refinery is declared closed.
STB