November 16 - 30, December 1-15, 2006

Taking the struggle forward against onslaught on livelihood

In Orissa, like in the rest of India, the Indian and foreign multinationals are on a desperate spree to make maximum profits out of the loot of the rich natural mineral resources of the state. Four massive projects have been in the news since the past few years. In all these projects, multinationals plan to make windfall profits with the assistance of the state and central governments. What is blocking them is the resistance struggle of the people affected by these mega projects. Lakhs of people are slated to lose their only source of livelihood, both as a result of their land being expropriated by the state and handed over to the multinationals, and also because of environmental degradation caused by mining. The longest struggle has been waged by the people of Kashipur. To sum up the lessons of the struggle, and to chart the course of action for the coming period, activists involved in the struggle gathered at a meeting in Nagpur in early November. A correspondent of MEL/Peoples Voice participated in the meeting and filed the following report.

Utkal Alumina India Limited (UAIL), a joint venture of INDAL, Tata, Hydro (Norway) and Alcan (Canada), entered Kashipur (District Rayagada, Orissa) to set up a gigantic alumina plant in 1992. The people of the area opposed the project, declaring that "Our land, our forest, our streams are our present, so also our future!" The project would have a disastrous effect on their forests and the environment. Thousands of them would lose their land, their source of livelihood, and maybe their homes. They would be poisoned as well, due to the pollution from the plant. They decided to do all in their power to oppose the project, and in 1996, formed the Prakrutik Sampada Suraksha Parishad (PSSP) to fight against it. For 14 long years, the people of Kashipur have succeeded in stalling the project, despite threats by the company and severe repression by the governmentt. Nothing has deterred them - lathi charges, tear gas, arrests, detention, rape and even the killing of 3 people in police firing on December 16 2000. In the face of the stiff resistance of the people, the Tatas and Hydro have withdrawn from the project, while Hindalco, a Birla company, has replaced INDAL. The brave fight of the indomitable people of Orissa has inspired people all over the country.

The consultative conference called by the PSSP in Nagpur was well-attended, with participant organizations and individuals from many states all over the country. Activists of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, Lok Raj Sangathan, Campaign Against Violence Against women as well as Kashipur Support Groups from various cities took an active part in the deliberations. Leaders of the struggle who had braved unending hardships as well as arrests showed both their humility as well as dedication to the cause when they asked the people assembled for physical help and support as well as ideas to take the struggle ahead. Plans to publicize the struggle and to raise funds in support were drawn up.

The representative of the CGPI lauded the people for their indomitable fight. She endorsed the assesment of the leaders of the PSSP that whereas the day-to-day fights were important, the struggle also needed a long-tem vision and perspective. The exploited and oppressed win temporary victories when the struggle is at its height. These victories however often remain only on paper. The system serves the capitalists and imperialists. The state is openly in the service of the biggest multinationals, Indian and foreign. It is made out that the exploited and oppressed are against "development". We must smash this lie. The workers and peasants, the adivasis, all are eagerly wanting an improvement in their material and cultural conditions, they want security and prosperity. Unfortunately, the "development vision" of the Indian big bourgeoisie is based on attacking and destroying even the precarious livelihood of the people.

People want to have a say in how the country should be run, in what type of development they want. We should unitedly fight for the end of the rule of big bourgeoisie and for the setting up of a system where political power would be in the hands of the workers and peasants. People should form their organs of struggle - the PSSP is one such. We must build these organs of struggle as the seeds of the future people's power. All the organs of struggle in the villages, in the towns, in the factories and fields, must work together in a democratic centralised manner to establish the alternative to the present system of representative democracy which deprives people of power.

Many proposals in this direction came up in the meeting. It was raised that the people should be organised to force the elected representatives to various bodies to voice the concerns of the people. In the coming elections to the panchayats, people's candidates could be selected by the sangharsh samitis in the different villages. Their program should be drawn up by the samiti and they should be accountable to it. A broad United Front of all the working people has to be built to oppose the attacks of the big bourgeoisie in the spirit "An attack on one is an attack on all!", and to organize the people to fight for people's power.

This meeting opened the space for fresh ideas to take the struggle forward. A dialogue between people from various movements is necessary so that our struggle can be more coordinated and effective.