Tribals protest against upcoming steel plant in Jamshedpur
By ANIMonday, May 17, 2010
JAMSHEDPUR - Over 2,000 tribals from 14 villages in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur District stage a protest on Sunday against an upcoming steel plant in the area.
They jammed roads leading to the site of the Bhushan Power and Steel Plant project and claimed that they were being displaced in the name of development.
“There should be a rule that whosoever is leading some project or the other, he or she should consult the people of the area. The representative for this project also has not asked us or given some information that they are planning to take such steps,” said Menka Sardar, a tribal representative.
Despite the strong protest, the groundbreaking ceremony for the project was performed at a distance.
“This is a symbol of our strong decision that the protest is not making a difference to us. If those people who do not have a piece of land in the area are protesting, it does not matter to us. I am looking forward to the people who are with me and such protests would not discourage me,” said H C Verma, Director of the Bhushan Power and Steel Plant Project.
The plant is a first such project since the separate state of Jharkhand was formed in 2000.
State governments across India have witnessed a spate of such protests in recent years, as farmers are up in arms against acquisition of their fertile lands.
Land acquisition for various projects like Special Economic Zones (SEZs), highways and industrial projects have sparked many violent protests and agitations across India. (ANI)
