Peoples Resistance To Posco
A Film By Nrusingha Behera & Debendra Swain
14 February, 2010
Orissaconcerns.net
Appeal by Film Makers
Dear friends,
Two of us live in Orissa, part of 30,000 people from 11 villages being forced to sacrifice livelihood sources, natural environment and community culture of self-reliance, due to invasion of an aggressive South Korean company called POSCO. Our people oppose such invasion by this 52,000 crore project and we do not allow anybody from the company to enter into many of our villages. Orissa Super Cyclone in 1999 ravaged us severely, but it could not wash our village away. However, a decision of Orissa Government on 22nd June 2005 to permit POSCO to set up a Steel Plant h threatened to take our dearest ‘village’ away from us forever. Our lands, our houses, our rice fields, our betel-vines, our cashew plants, our forest lands, our river, our ponds, our seashore, our fishes will be snatched away from us. They will not only destroy the memories of a grand ma, but also kill the dreams of the village youth.
The POSCO Company and the Government call us anti-nationals since we question their notion of ‘development’. They threatened us, arrestour fellow villagers, terrorize us, throw bombson us, but we are resisting their violent means through a democratic struggle. They have even killed one of our neighbors, but we refuse surrender our dignity and rights. Now, on 26th January 2010 – the Republic Day, at the Capital of India our Prime Minister, Chief Minister, other ministers and officers have promised to the South Korean President to ‘the State Government would speed up land acquisition for the project’. This reminds us of incident of 2nd January 2006 what they did to 14 resisting tribal villagers in Kalinga Nagar.
Our people have begun their protest sit on at Balitutha for indefinite period from 26th January 2010 night until the 22nd June 2005 is reversed. We appeal for your all kinds solidarity and support to save our lands and livelihoods. In this context, two of us have made a seven minute short video documentary called `People’s Resistance to POSCO’ and this can be watched here & in Youtube
Please watch the film and circulate it among your friends and do your best to strengthen the struggle. Contributions are welcome. With your support we will be able to continue our struggle as well as media action to suppport the struggle.
Please convey your solidarity and support to POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (People’s Association for Struggle to resist POSCO). Contact Person: Abhay Sahu, President, PPSS or Prasanta Paikray, Spokesperson, PPSS, Phone: 9437571547 email : [email protected] The struggle is going through a critical situation today. We hope you will be able to do your best to spread the word around on this issue. Looking forward to hearing from you soon,
With warm regards,
Nrusingha Behera and Debendra Swain
PEOPLE’S TELEVISION NETWORK
[email protected]
