San Francisco: Aug 13 Protest against the Indian Government’s “Operation Green Hunt”

Where: Indian Consulate in San Francisco

(540 Arguello Boulevard)

When: 11 am, August 13 2010

The Government of India has launched a domestic war named Operation Green Hunt in the forested regions of East-Central India, stretching from the states of Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand and West Bengal. This region is home to significant amounts of natural resources.

Big corporations, both Indian and foreign, are plundering these natural resources for quick profits and plan to continue doing so while paying almost no attention to the enormous environmental and human costs inherent in their ventures. The state and central governments continue to welcome these big corporations with open arms by signing an unknown number of memoranda of understanding with them-whose details have been kept secret. A recent report by the Ministry of Rural Development, on the other hand, described these trends as one of the biggest land grabs since the time of Columbus.

This forested region, rich in natural resources as it is, is also home to a large section of India’s roughly 100 million Adivasis (i.e., the tribal population). Using all means at their disposal, the Adivasis resisted the government’s efforts to forcibly drive them from their ancestral lands. Drawing on the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which is devoted to Adivasi rights and provisions for their protection, Adivasi activists challenged the government’s expropriations.

Instead of addressing the genuine grievances of the Adivasis, the Indian government has cracked down on their legitimate protests in violation of the letter and intent of the Indian Constitution. Peaceful resistance movements across this region have been met with police brutality and military might; this forced the arming of a section of the resistance movement. State-assisted vigilante groups like the Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh and Harmad Bahini in West Bengal were a response of the state to the armed resistance of the Adivasis.

When that failed, Operation Green Hunt-a further escalation and militarization of the State’s response-emerged.

We, a group of concerned individuals, urge you to join us in this protest.

Oppose the biggest land grab since Columbus!

Oppose Operation Green Hunt!

Oppose the war on people!

Sponsored by

People’s Front Against Operation Green Hunt

Endorsed by Sanhati

Orissa – Anti-Vedanta Dongria Kondh leader Lado Sikaka abducted

By Surya Shankar Dash. (Source : forestrights listserv from Sanhati))

August 10, 2010

Note 2

The story of Lado’s disappearance might not be as simple as we have assumed.This is what Bhawanipatna based activist Sidhart Naik (President of Green Kalahandi) has to say – About 15 Dongria Kondh people along with Sidharth Naik, Kumti Majhi, etc. were travelling in two vehicles to eventually go to Raipur from where they were to catch a train to Delhi in order to attend a meeting on 12 August. Before leaving Niyamgiri forest they were intercepted by another two vehicles with gunmen in it. Sidharth Naik says they were more likely to be goons and not police or CRPF – some of the gunmen spoke in Hindi and some in Telugu. At gunpoint, they made Sidharth Naik hand over Lado and Sana to them. Sidharth naik has registered a FIR with Lanjigarh police station.

Note 1

Last evening Lado Sikaka and Sana Sikaka were returning from Lanjigarh when a police team attacked and arrested them near Ijrupa village in the Niyamgiri forest. It seems Lado and Sana have been taken to an undisclosed location as they are neither in the Lanjigarh P.S. or Muniguda P.S. which are the nearest Police Stations. A third person who was also accompanying Lado and Sana was not arrested. Lado is one of the strongest Dongria Kondh protestors against Vedanta and he hails from Lakhpadar village that is closest to the mining lease area. A month ago 2 platoons of para-military had carried out a combing operation in Lakhpadar village and had beaten up Sana but were essentially looking for Lado who was not present in the village then. The general fear amongst the people there is that he will be framed as a Maoist and tortured. Also, taking Lado out of Niyamgiri means to deliver a severe blow on the anti-mining movement of the Dongria Kondh. Sources say the next person being targeted is Arjun Chandi of Kadamguda village. Essentially the police and company are targetting local leaders who are uncompromising and incorruptible. My sincere appeal to everyone to stand with the Dongria Kondh as the darkest period in their struggle has arrived.