In one of the longest-running – and certainly the most widely-publicised – of Indian struggles to halt a threatened mining venture, the community seems to have won. On Thursday, 18 April 2013, the country’s Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the future of the Nyamgiri bauxite mining lease in Orissa should be decided by the local village government (Gram Sabha).
The verdict was greeted with joy, especially among the Dongria Khond tribal villagers who have campaigned for almost a decade to oust UK-listed Vedanta Resources from their sacred hills. However, the battle is not yet over. A spokesperson for the community has warned that the company (and Orissa state government) may still win the day, should the pattern of police and company violence, directed against Dongria Khond protestors on many occasions, be allowed to continue.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=12250.
Video: Supreme Court verdict celebrated on Niyamgiri
This short footage was taken as Niyamgiri dwellers celebrated the Supreme Court’s verdict, while also cautioning that the company and state officials must stay away from the process.
See http://www.foilvedanta.org/articles/video-supreme-court-verdict-celebrated-on-niyamgiri/.