Vishaka agitation at Paramanpur

Industrilization and its effect on the poor people of Orissa aspecially the Sambalpur Region.1/10/2011

Industrialization has received wide acceptance as a major strategy for development all over the world. In the post-independence period, India embarked on a course of industrialization under the aegis of the public sector, which assumed “commanding heights”. The private sector also did not lag far behind under a system called ‘mixed economy’.
Orissa is predominantly an agricultural state where nearly seventy per cent of the working population depends on agriculture. The state has nearly forty per cent of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) population, which together make 9.78 million, apart from the people belonging to the Other Backward Castes (OBC).
As observed here all these protest movements are mainly directed against displacement of people and for protection of the local environment. The people complain against poor rate of compensation and gross inadequacies in matters of resettlement and rehabilitation. There are several instances in the past in which people have suffered heavily due to apathy of the state government wherever major projects were undertaken.
Our western Orissa is always the most neglected and people live in abject poverty and the rampant industrialization at different area of western Orissa is highly disgraceful and condemnable.
I had been to the Visakha Industry , which is 20 km away from sambalpur , located at Paramanpur . A long term agitation was going on over there. The district administration has given then 15 days time to solve out the issue. The villagers alleged that they were not allowed to go to their land because of a compound wall of the industrial house. "We took this decision when we did not get justice despite our repeated appeals to the district administration," an agitating villager said. They will sit in front of the collector office and fast till death. The pollution level is rampant over there. The Ceo of the company is even not visiting the proposed site and taking the help of local gundas and touts. Rather the poor villagers were put into the bars and now bailed out from the high court having false allegations against them.
The agitating families are apprehensive of the company taking over the lands given to them by the Government. Since they don’t have any land pattas (proof of possession), the tribal and Dalit families seek the demarcation of their lands. While the demarcation could not be taken up for the first time due to the unrest at VSS Medical at Burla, the second date had to be postponed due to the flood. However, a fresh date has been finalized for September 22.
Visaka Industries is setting up a 100,000-tonne capacity asbestos cement sheet plant here at an estimated cost of ` 40 crore. A majority of villagers has been opposing the project after they came to know that asbestos was carcinogenic.
The company has been accused of grabbing 130 acres of land, including 57 acres of forest and rayati land. Local MLAS and MPS are not any paying heed to the plight of the victims and necessary remedial steps are not extended to them and even the dist administration also. They are just collecting booties from the corporate housing and no reaction rather the poor people who suffer in the long run.
Dr Pramod Rath, the president of Sambalpur Bar association says if the government will not take any step after 15 days then we will take some major steps. The same has be reiterated by Mr Pramod Rath , an attorney at Sambalpur court.
I can say this is a close nexus between politicians and the corporate honchos.
Unfortunately the govt seems to be enclosed within a cocoon of insensitivity. It not only ignores the stifled voices of the suffering communities but is also adopting policies and measures to perpetuate the madness of the rapid industrialization. The government is busy signing with new MOUS with steel plants, Aluminum smelter plants, thermal power plants, and is still continuing to offer huge subsidies to investors in the form of guarantees, tax concessions and investment subsidies. Is the govt blind to the fact that these multinational companies are only interested in exploiting mineral reserves of our state especially western Orissa for maximum profits without any commitment to the poor and neglected masses of the villages and local people?
We the people of western Orissa need the support and cooperation to make these muffled voices of the suffering communities be heard. The human face to environmental issues must be projected. There is an urgent need to empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development , promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental hazards/issues and advocate partnership which will ensure that all peoples enjoy and a safer and more prosperous life.

Siddhartha Shankar mishra,
Bureau Chief,
These Days,
Orissa, Sambalpur,