The embroidery involves some very intricate needlework, and the shawl has a special place in Dongria tradition. On the sidelines of the annual Niyamraja Festival held recently on the hills, 5,000 ft above sea level, Sikaka vented his anguish. We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day. The Dongrias say that the process of selecting beneficiaries for old age, widow and disability pensions is a farce. The mining operation will have massive negative affects on the Dongria Kondh, one of India's most isolated tribes. At the first international indigenous film festival in Bhubaneswar last month, two young women who lived an ocean apart and barely knew each other euphorically embraced, much to the amusement of the audience. Indian state Odisha is planning to revive Vedanta Resources' bauxite mining project on top of the Niyamgiri Hills, a forested area that the local Dongria Kondh tribe considers sacred. BiswaranjanRout. Posted by Leah on August 2nd, 2013. by Joan Martinez-Alier and Leah Temper. Emmanuela Shinta, 26, an independent filmmaker from Indonesia’s Kalimantan rainforest, and Dinja Jakasika, a 30-year-old village sarpanch from the foothills of Odisha’s picturesque Niyamgiri Hills, had nothing in common — nationality, attire or language. The struggle has been on since October 2004, when the government-owned Odisha State Mining Company (OMC) signed an agreement with UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine over 70 million tons of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills. Sources & Materials . The NSS sees a larger conspiracy. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. The court has also provided an escape clause for the mining giants, by … Explore more for Niyamgiri hills breaking news, opinions, special reports and more on mint. Biswaranjan Rout. Resources plc, for the purpose of mining of bauxite reserves at at the foot of the Niyamgiri mountain, near the town of Lanjigarh. The Stateowned Odisha Mining Company (OMC) had sought permission to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills and supply it to Vedantas alumina refinery. The company planned to mine the Niyamgiri hill range, which is believed to be the home of deity Niyam Rajawhich, who is worshipped by the local Dongria Kondh tribe. Bhubaneswar: South Korean steel behemoth Posco’s mining prospects in Kandadhar hills of Sundergarh district may face the same fate as Niyamgiri Hills, given the Environment Ministry’s January direction in the latter’s case rejecting Vedanta’s bauxite extraction plan and endorsing forest rights of tribals following a Gram Sabha verdict. The Khandadhar watershed and forests, which hold […] The OMC holds a claim over the deposit with a letter of intent towards a mining lease from the state government. The community said there are barely any schools or anganwadis in the 100-odd hamlets scattered across the Niyamgiri slopes, though the government claims otherwise. “I was abruptly bundled into a police jeep last October and beaten up in custody. Bauxite, which they were planning to mine atop Niyamgiri hills, serves as a raw material of alumina. The Stateowned Odisha Mining Company (OMC) had sought permission to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills and supply it to Vedantas alumina refinery. Till the early 2000s, Dongria Kondhs lived peacefully in quiet and inaccessible hamlets on the slopes of the Niyamgiri range, in the Bissam Cuttack, Muniguda and Kalyansingpur blocks of Rayagada district and in the Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district. July 25, 2013 3:10 am. We would rather die than think of leading a life outside the hills,” raged Kunuji Kutruga, 60, from Khambesi village. No bauxite mining at Niyamgiri till nod from locals: Vedanta The announcement comes nearly four months after the Ministry of Environment and Forest turned down Vedanta's mining proposal, paying heed to the local villagers' verdict. The hills reportedly contain a deposition of bauxite of more than 80 million tonnes. The Dongria Kondh win the battle against bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills, Odisha. The Environment and Forest ministry of Government of India scrapped a forest clearance given to a mining firm, Vedanta Resources, to mine bauxite in the area and the mining project was scrapped. “Allegations of police intimidation and ill-treatment of the community are deeply disturbing. They are suspected of being ‘sympathetic’ to Maoists in the area. Company: Orissa Mining Corporation (for Vedanta) Reserves: … The recent report in a section of media about bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hill is just misinterpretation of the facts and far from the truth,” Dr Mukesh Kumar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of VAL, told “The ET”. Indian state Odisha is planning to revive Vedanta Resources’ bauxite mining project on top of the Niyamgiri Hills, a forested area that the local Dongria Kondh tribe considers sacred. “Green symbolises the endless chain of mountains and fields. When the government is not ready to listen to us, why should we care for them?”. On 31 st July 2013 in New Delhi drums and banners in front of Odisha House celebrated the success achieved by the tiny Dongria Kondh hamlets in the Niyamgiri Hill which, one after the other had openly expressed in the last days of July 2013 their refusal of open cast bauxite mining. The Union environment ministry cancelled all permissions granted to the company following allegations by … Most Read. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The State government’s first attempt at development in this region was in the 80s when it came up with three micro-projects: two Dongria Kondh Development Agencies, in Chatikona and Parsali, and the Kutia Kondh Development Agency. The Union environment ministry cancelled all permissions granted to the company following allegations by experts that Vedanta had violated various laws in … You can support quality journalism by turning off ad blocker or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to The Hindu. Twenty percent of the Dongria Kondh live in … I believe this is going to be tough. However, Vedanta and its partner OMC filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against this decision. Mining bauxite and processing it into aluminium is deadly to the environment. pressure from the state government as well as Vedanta, a London based mining company, to make way for Bauxite mining. The state government-owned Odisha Mining Corporation was supposed to provide the bauxite extracted from the Niyamgiri hills to the Vedanta refinery. They have no idea how many of our people live in the forest,” said Dadhi Pushika, a Dongria elder. In the same month, Dadhi Pushika was subjected to physical assault after Rayagada police picked him up from the village. Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations. Young community leader Drenzoo at the Niyamraja festival. for Bauxite mining. India has rejected Vedanta Resources' proposed bauxite mining plan for the Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha state. It wanted to mine bauxite — the primary raw material for aluminium — from the Niyamgiri hills for Vedanta Aluminium’s 1 million-tonne-per-annum (mtpa) alumina refinery in neighbouring Lanjigarh, which had been operational since 2007. Jakasika belongs to the Dongria Kondh community, one of Odisha’s few remaining tribal groups. But the community continues to feel threatened,” said Chauhan. Apart from this, Vedanta Alumina Refinery runs a private hospital as CSR activity. Explore more for Niyamgiri hills breaking news, opinions, special reports and more on mint. We have been keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world that have a bearing on our health and wellbeing, our lives and livelihoods, during these difficult times. The company is planning to mine Activists say the Dongria’s opposition to mining has led to them being perceived as a ‘roadblock’ to development in a region known for grinding poverty and starvation deaths. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler. Subsequently, the state held meetings in 12 villages to discuss the environmental and religious issues, and the rights of the tribes. The Niyamgiri is a hill range situated in the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada in the south-west of Odisha, India.These hills are home to Dongria Kondh indigenous people.The hills have one of India's most pristine forests in the interior. For the Dongria Kondhs, the film festival was an important occasion to recount the community’s travails over the last decade, and debate what the ‘correct’ model of development could be. Bauxite is the raw material for alumina and aluminum, and Odisha has 700 million tonnes of known bauxite reserves, of which 88 million tonnes are estimated to be found in Niyamgiri. The court has also provided an escape clause for the mining giants, by setting up a special purpose 08 Dec 2020. In the rush to acquire mining rights, stringent environmental laws were violated, and the Dongria’s consent was not sought. Niyamgiri Hills contains 72 million tonnes of bauxite, which the firm intended to mine to feed its alumina refinery plant at Lanjigarh, Odisha. Vedanta Ltd has been unable to get final permission for mining bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills. A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes. The struggle has been on since October 2004, when the government-owned Odisha State Mining Company (OMC) signed an agreement with UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine over 70 million tons of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills. The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. However, the … mining bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills. Rainclouds hung over Niyamgiri hills,but the cloud of uncertainty over Vedanta Alumina s 1 million tonne per annum alumina refinery plant at Lanjigarh,Kalahandi,deepened further after the fourth pallisabha on Wednesday rejected the company s plan to mine the bauxite-rich hills But when the Supreme Court ruling, in April 2013, said that the village councils should decide whether the state-owned mining corporation could mine the hills for the bauxite or not, all the village councils voted against the mining process. Today a huge gulf in trust has emerged between the government and the Dongria Kondhs. The hills reportedly contain 80 million tonnes of bauxite, much of it in a mountain that local Kondh tribes (Dongria and Kutia) worship as their deity, Niyam Raja. At the annual festival, Dongria Kondhs resolved not to yield an inch if the government resorts to forced eviction. It is bound by Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary on the north-west side and Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary on the north-east end. Yellow invokes turmeric and peace, a smile, togetherness, health and happiness of the community. ", Custom Designed and Built Underground Mining and Tunnelling Equipment, Heavy-Duty Mechanical Equipment for Mines, Dust Control and Mine Water Solutions for Mining Applications, "The state government has to seek permission from the apex court to start the process again. Bauxite is the raw material for alumina and aluminum, and Odisha has 700 million tonnes of known bauxite reserves, of which 88 million tonnes are estimated to be found in Niyamgiri. This conflict has been a well-known case in the mineral-rich state of Odisha in India, involving some of the world’s oldest surviving indigenous peoples. As per official records on regularisation of titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, only 252 applications were not approved in Kutia Kondh Development Agency, Lanjigarh jurisdiction. The OMC holds a claim over the deposit with a letter of intent towards a mining lease from the state government. Sikaka said: “Once we convened a meeting at Trilochanpur in the foothills of Niyamgiri. “Forest dwellers across the country got temporary relief when the Supreme Court stayed its eviction order. Odisha is seeking to revive a controversial plan to mine for bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills, a lushly forested area that the Dongria Kondh tribe considers sacred, a minister said on Wednesday. The report also recommended th… Wherever I go, I meet indigenous people and find connections even though we don’t know each other or each other’s language. Court cases and local opposition did not deter the company. However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Odisha is seeking to revive a controversial plan to mine for bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills, a lushly forested … In 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the tribal people to take the decision, in which BMP was rejected in all village council meetings. Dr Kumar said VAL was waiting for necessary clearances from … But, like all well-meaning projects that find little resonance on ground, they could not lift the literacy rate, an abysmal 33% among a population of 11,551. Get the latest Niyamgiri hills news, videos and headlines. The Dongria’s simmering anger against the government was stoked further this month when the Supreme Court directed all State governments to evict from the forests all those whose applications for regularisation of occupation had been rejected. “Crèches were opened in partnership with non-government organisations. Currently, Odisha steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick said: "The state government is keen to hold gram sabhas again for Niyamgiri bauxite mining. Sikaka’s call for 5 ft roads to the villages rather than the government-prescribed 30 ft roads, primary schools that teach in the Dongria tongue rather than large residential schools, and Indira Awas Yojana houses that incorporate tribal traditions have either been laughed off or ignored by government officials. … This conflict has been a well-known case in the mineral-rich state of Odisha in India, involving some of the world’s oldest surviving indigenous peoples. “But the shawl gives us prestige when we go to fairs or social events,” said Lakmi Sikaka, a Dongria woman. The Niyamgiri Hills form a mountain range in the Eastern Indian state of Orissa. Nobody exemplifies this deep divide better than Lada Sikaka, NSS president and once an important voice of the Dongrias. Unanimous rejection was recorded in July and August 2013. The Niyamgiri Hills form a mountain range in the Eastern Indian state of Orissa. Innocent tribals are being branded as Maoists,” said Manohar Chauhan, a forest rights activist and former campaigner of Amnesty International. Shinta first met Jakasika two years ago, at an indigenous film festival in Kalimantan. Bauxite is the raw material for alumina and aluminum, and Odisha has 700 million tonnes of known bauxite reserves, of which 88 million tonnes are estimated to be found in Niyamgiri. The bauxite-capped Niyamgiri hills soak up the monsoon’s rain, giving rise to more than a hundred perennial streams and rivers, including the Vamshadhara river. *Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print. Where will we go? Trouble began to brew when in 2004 Vedanta set up a pit-head alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, a nondescript village on the foothills of Niyamgiri. The Dongria tribe and the Niyamgiri Hills For many centuries, the highly endangered Dongria tribe have inhabited the hills that contain an estimated $2 billion worth of bauxite deposits (Bennett, 2014). Niyamgiri hills are home to about 8,000 Dongaria Kondh tribes living in … Shinta, who belongs to Indonesia’s Dayak community, which is being rapidly marginalised by the local government’s policy on transmigration and by expansive oil companies, could instantly relate to Jakasika’s struggle. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. Vedanta Ltd has been unable to get final permission for mining bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills. The Dongria tribe of Eastern India has been under intense pressure from the state government as well as Vedanta, a London based mining company, to make way for Bauxite mining.The Dongria tribe and the Niyamgiri Hills For many The struggle has been on since October 2004, when the government-owned Odisha State Mining Company (OMC) signed an agreement with UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine over 70 million tons of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills. by Joan Martinez-Alier and Leah Temper. They are home to more than 8,000 of the Dongria Kondh people, whose lifestyle and religion have helped nurture the area’s dense forests and unusually rich wildlife. But we don’t want forests razed to the ground for a wide road. Dongria Kondhs also feel persecuted by security forces. A solid waste product ‘red mud’ which is an environmental and health hazard is produced during … Niyamgiri hills are home to about 8,000 Dongaria Kondh tribes living in 160 villages. 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